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This local leader of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

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

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.