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The local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread devastation caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon described enduring the Category 5 storm at an emergency response center.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so severe that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor noted hearing reports of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“The hurricane arrived around eight in the morning and lasted for around several hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he added.

“We experienced 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 frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofs. An authority previously characterized the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been reduced to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their houses and trying to rescue their belongings.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “severely damaged,” notes Solomon.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he explains.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of local currency to restore the community after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the priority is clearing blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to offer goods to persons who are in need at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage personally, with an aerial tour of the area showing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive undertaking to restore Black River. But although it is damaged, we can vision a tomorrow of it rising more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So keep the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he affirmed.