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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary 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 rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. 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 houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver 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 adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow 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 get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.