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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without running water and power, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.