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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous flooding and extensive devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic experience, the mayor recalled riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of this area is in ruins,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the national leader designated this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and travel difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. That was a bit scary 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 rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents without power. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now focused on working to help the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the pain that people are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off 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 supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region showing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been lost.

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

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.