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This mayor of the town of Black River – an area referred to as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has shared the immense flooding and extensive destruction caused by the disaster.

Speaking on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor recalled riding out the intense hurricane at an emergency response center.

“The entire town of this area is devastated,” he said. “The destruction is so catastrophic that the prime minister designated this area as ground zero.”

Several people from the town are reported to have died, but Solomon noted receiving word of other deaths that are still being verified due to connectivity and transportation difficulties.

“The hurricane came around 8 a.m. and continued for around several hours, during which we were battered 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 frightening moment for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and I tell you, when we saw the water rising, it was a scary moment for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the hard-hit southwest parish of the area, is lacking water and electricity, and most structures have lost their roofing. One official earlier characterized the town as flooded, with more than half a million residents lacking electricity. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and trying to salvage their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and evaluations have proven almost impossible because all the town’s transport and critical services such as fire, law enforcement, medical centers and grocery stores were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to assist the most vulnerable, while also dealing with the individual toll of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof was lost, so I do understand the pain that people are feeling, but what is a key focus 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 Jamaican dollars to restore Black River after the hurricane's destruction. At present, he states, the priority is removing debris from impassable roads, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and secondary routes here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. Most of our supermarkets, if not all, were severely affected so they won’t be able to provide supplies to persons who are in need at this moment,” he adds.

National leadership has seen the devastation personally, with an aerial tour of the region revealing the vast majority of buildings in the area had been lost.

“This will be a massive undertaking to restore this historic town. But although it is damaged, we can envision a future of it emerging more resilient and improved,” he informed reporters.

“We will get it done. So keep the optimism, keep hope alive, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.