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The mayor of Black River – an area described as “ground zero” for Hurricane Melissa – has shared the immense storm surges and widespread destruction wrought by the disaster.

Reflecting on the traumatic ordeal, the mayor described enduring the intense hurricane at an emergency operating centre.

“Our community of Black River is devastated,” he stated. “The destruction is so severe that the national leader designated this area as the worst-hit zone.”

Several people from the town are confirmed dead, but the mayor mentioned receiving word of other fatalities that are still being verified due to communication and travel challenges.

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

“We experienced up to 4.8 metres of water at the response center. That was a frightening moment for us, and we were hoping that it would not rise any further, because we were on the second floor, and frankly, when we saw the water rising, it was a terrifying experience for us.”

The mayor explained that Black River, located in the severely affected south-western parish of the area, is without running water and electricity, and most buildings have had their roofing. An authority earlier described the town as flooded, with over 500,000 inhabitants lacking electricity. A mudslide has blocked the main roads of Santa Cruz, where streets have been turned to mud pits. Locals are now sweeping water from their homes and attempting to salvage their belongings.

Search and rescue operations 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 grocery stores were “severely damaged,” says the mayor.

He is now concentrating on working to assist the neediest residents, while also dealing with the personal impact of the devastation.

“The mayor's car was completely covered by water. The roofing 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 getting aid relief for the most vulnerable at this point,” he explains.

The mayor believes that it will take millions of local currency to restore Black River after Melissa’s destruction. At present, he says, the priority is removing debris from blocked routes, which have isolated the town.

“Efforts are underway to clear the major thoroughfares and critical lateral roads here so that we can deliver relief supplies in. The majority of our supermarkets, if not all, were impacted negatively so they will be unable to offer goods to individuals who are in dire straits at this time,” he adds.

The prime minister has seen the devastation first-hand, with an flyover of the region revealing 80 to 90% of roofs in the area had been lost.

“This will be a enormous undertaking to rebuild Black River. But although it is destroyed, we can vision a tomorrow of it emerging stronger and improved,” he told local media.

“We will get it done. So maintain the positive outlook, remain hopeful, and we will get through this, and we will reconstruct stronger,” he affirmed.