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The mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

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

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.