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This local leader of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

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

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but Solomon mentioned hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and travel difficulties.

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

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as under water, with over 500,000 residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

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

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most vulnerable at this time,” he says.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority 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 time,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.