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

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and transportation difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

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

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s annihilation. At present, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares 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 offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and better,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.