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The local leader of the town of Black River – an area described as “the epicenter” for the devastating storm – has detailed the monstrous storm surges and widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

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

“The entire town of Black River is in ruins,” he said. “And that devastation is so catastrophic that the prime minister classified this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Five individuals from Black River are confirmed to have died, but Solomon mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that remain unconfirmed due to communication and transportation challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 16ft of water at the response center. It was a bit scary for us, and we were hoping that it would not increase any further, because we were on the upper level, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that the town, situated in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is lacking running water and electricity, and the majority of structures have had their roofs. One official earlier characterized the town as under water, with more than 500,000 inhabitants without power. A mudslide has obstructed the primary routes of Santa Cruz, where roadways have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now removing water from their homes and trying to rescue their possessions.

Rescue efforts and damage assessments have become extremely difficult because every one of the town’s vehicles and essential facilities such as fire, police, medical centers and supermarkets were “immensely damaged,” says Solomon.

He is now concentrating on trying to help the most vulnerable, while also coping with the individual toll of the disaster.

“My vehicle was completely submerged by water. The roofing went, so I fully grasp the suffering that persons are experiencing, but what is a priority for me now is to focus on securing aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take billions of local currency to rebuild Black River after the hurricane's destruction. For now, he states, the main goal is removing debris from blocked routes, which have cut off the town.

“We are now trying to get the main roads and critical lateral roads here so that we can get 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 dire straits at this time,” he says.

National leadership has witnessed the damage first-hand, with an flyover of the area revealing 80 to 90% of roofs 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 stronger and better,” he told reporters.

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