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This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“Storm Melissa arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

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

Solomon explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected southwest region of the area, is without water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofs. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely 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.

“My vehicle was completely covered by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads 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 individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.