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This mayor of Black River – a community described as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has shared the monstrous flooding and widespread devastation wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled enduring the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is in ruins,” he stated. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other deaths that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and transportation challenges.

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

“We got up to 16ft of water at the response center. 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 experience for us.”

The mayor stated that Black River, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have had their roofs. An authority previously described the town as flooded, with more than 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A landslide has obstructed the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been turned to muddy tracks. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have become extremely difficult because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, police, hospitals and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now focused on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also coping with the personal impact 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 feeling, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most at-risk at this time,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he says, the main goal is clearing blocked routes, 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. Most of our stores, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to persons who are in need at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an aerial tour of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been destroyed.

“It is going to be a massive task to restore this historic town. But while it is damaged, we can vision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed local media.

“It will be accomplished. So maintain the positive outlook, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.