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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

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

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

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

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

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