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This mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and better,” he informed local media.

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