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The mayor of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense storm surges and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

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

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but the mayor mentioned hearing reports of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered with strong gusts and torrential rainfall,” he added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a scary experience for us.”

Solomon stated that the town, located in the hard-hit south-western region of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofing. An authority earlier characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the primary routes of a nearby area, where streets have been reduced to mud pits. Residents are now sweeping water from their houses and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now focused on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was totally submerged by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the suffering that people are feeling, but what is a key focus for me now is to concentrate on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this time,” he explains.

Solomon believes that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's annihilation. For now, he states, the main goal is clearing impassable roads, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he adds.

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

“This will be a enormous task to restore Black River. But while it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it rising more resilient and better,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will rebuild better,” he said.