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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

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

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

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

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.