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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. 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.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and power, and most buildings have lost their roofs. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and trying to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain 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 time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he said.