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This local leader of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority previously described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

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

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying 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 severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising stronger and better,” he informed 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 affirmed.