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

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

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as ground zero.”

Five individuals from the town are confirmed dead, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of additional fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to connectivity and travel difficulties.

“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 added.

“We got up to 4.8 metres of flooding at the emergency operating centre. It was a bit scary for us, and we were praying that it would not increase any more, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water climbing, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected southwest region of St Elizabeth, is lacking water and power, and the majority of structures have lost their roofs. One official earlier described the town as under water, with over 500,000 inhabitants without power. A landslide has blocked the main roads of a nearby area, where roadways have been reduced to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and attempting to rescue their possessions.

Search and rescue operations and damage assessments have proven almost impossible because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” notes the mayor.

The mayor is now concentrating on trying to help the neediest residents, while also coping with the personal impact of the disaster.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. My roof went, so I fully grasp the pain that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he says.

The mayor estimates that it will take millions of local currency 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 get the major thoroughfares and secondary routes here so that we can get aid in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they won’t be able to provide supplies to individuals who are in dire straits at this moment,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing the vast majority of roofs in the area had been destroyed.

“This will be a enormous task to restore this historic town. But while it is destroyed, we can envision a future of it rising stronger and improved,” he told local media.

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