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The mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are reported dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment 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 rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is without water and power, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. 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 main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most 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 says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.