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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted 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 flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

The mayor stated that the town, located in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and most structures have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

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

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that persons are feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he says, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to clear the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver aid 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 adds.

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

“This will be a massive undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.