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The local leader of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft of water 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 frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, 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 at-risk at this time,” he says.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver 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 time,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.