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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment 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 terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally 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 getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.

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