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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 widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. 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 response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, 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 secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies 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 witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the area showing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.