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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

“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.