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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane 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.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping 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 moment for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official earlier described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he told local media.

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