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This local leader of the town of Black River – a community referred to as “ground zero” for the devastating storm – has detailed the immense flooding and widespread destruction wrought by the catastrophe.

Speaking on the harrowing ordeal, Richard Solomon recalled riding out the Category 5 hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed to have died, but Solomon noted hearing reports of additional fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

“The hurricane arrived around 8 a.m. and lasted for around nine hours, during which we were battered with heavy winds and a lot of rain,” he explained.

“We got up to 16ft of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not rise any more, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

Solomon stated that Black River, located in the severely affected southwest parish of St Elizabeth, is without running water and electricity, and the majority of buildings have lost their roofing. One official previously characterized the town as under water, with over half a million residents lacking electricity. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have become almost impossible because all the town’s vehicles and critical services such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on working to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“My vehicle was totally submerged by water. The roofing went, so I do understand the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to concentrate on securing assistance for the most at-risk at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take billions of Jamaican dollars to restore 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 clear the major thoroughfares 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 provide supplies to individuals who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

The prime minister has witnessed the devastation personally, with an flyover of the region showing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive task to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a future of it emerging stronger and better,” he told reporters.

“We will get it done. So maintain the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will overcome this challenge, and we will rebuild better,” he said.