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The local leader of Black River – an area referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of additional deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is without water and power, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to rescue their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on working to assist the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally covered by water. My roof went, so I do understand the pain that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

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

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to rebuild this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

“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.