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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a bit scary 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 rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, located in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without running water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. One official previously characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore Black River. But while it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told 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 affirmed.