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The mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

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

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he explained.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That 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 climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofs. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Rescue efforts and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as firefighting, police, hospitals and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on trying to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was totally covered 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 focus on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild the community after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

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

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

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

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.