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This mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense 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.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. 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. That was a frightening moment 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 climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged 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 focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.