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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic experience, the mayor recalled riding out the intense storm at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are reported to have died, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. One official earlier described the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to muddy tracks. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to focus on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, 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 critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.