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The local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.