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This mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding 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 second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, 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.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he says.

The prime minister has seen the devastation 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 restore this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and better,” he informed local media.

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