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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.