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This local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing experience, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from Black River are reported dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

“Storm Melissa came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding 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 rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofing. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven extremely difficult because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he says, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, 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. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he says.

National leadership has seen the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he told reporters.

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