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The local leader of the town of Black River – a community described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

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

Five individuals from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

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

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

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes 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.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, 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 supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the area revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

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