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This mayor of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, the mayor described enduring the intense storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest parish of the area, is lacking running water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally 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 getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take millions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

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

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.