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This local leader of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

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

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their houses 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 fire, police, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the main goal is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway 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 impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods 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 region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

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

“It will be accomplished. So keep the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.