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The local leader of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Reflecting on the harrowing experience, Richard Solomon described riding out the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

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

Several people from Black River are reported to have died, but the mayor noted receiving word of additional deaths that are still being verified due to communication and transportation challenges.

“The hurricane came around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were pounded 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 praying that it would not rise any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, situated in the hard-hit south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. One official previously described the town as under water, with more than half a million inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Residents are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as firefighting, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I fully grasp the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority 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 devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“It is going to be a enormous task to rebuild this historic town. But although it is destroyed, we can envision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.