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The local leader of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the catastrophe.

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

“Our community of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

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

“We got up to 16ft of water 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 I tell you, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without water and electricity, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. One official previously described the town as flooded, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become 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 working to help the neediest residents, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore the community after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he states, the main goal 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 need at this time,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the optimism, remain hopeful, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.