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The mayor of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 16ft of water at the emergency operating centre. That 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 climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

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

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.