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This mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that people 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.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.