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This mayor of the town of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and widespread destruction caused by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing ordeal, the mayor described riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon noted receiving word of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were pounded with strong gusts and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced up to 16ft 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying moment for us.”

Solomon explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and most structures have had their roofing. An authority previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now removing water from their houses and attempting to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, law enforcement, hospitals and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes the mayor.

He is now focused on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

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

Solomon believes that it will take millions of Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver aid in. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging 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 rebuild better,” he said.