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The mayor of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without running water and power, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. 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 critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.