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The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

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

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were pounded with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is without running water and power, and most structures have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the disaster.

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

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority 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 get relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

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