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This mayor of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

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

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

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

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

The mayor stated that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with over half a million inhabitants without power. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and essential facilities such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

“The mayor's car was completely submerged by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he states, the priority is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can get relief supplies in. Most of our stores, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an flyover of the area showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

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