devastation

As stand alone sentences they are fine.

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New2grammarIf I tell you the details, I will jeopardize the safety of the local who helped us.

locals

What's wrong with the singular if there was only one local resident that helped us?

New2grammarWhat's wrong with the singular if there was only one local resident that helped us?

The locals are local residents.

So, can the word local be used to refer to a single individual rather than a mass?

New2grammarSo, can the word local be used to refer to a single individual rather than a mass?

'Local' is an adjective used as a noun in your sentence. It cannot be used to refer to a single resident.

The injured (people) were taken to the hospital.

The poor (people) are suffering.

The rich are getting richer.

The p

New2grammarWhat's wrong with the singular if there was only one local resident that helped us?

As you know I don't claim to be a grammar expert so I won't attempt to argue adjectives versus nouns, etc.; however, I find absolutely nothing wrong with you original sentence. I read it exactly as you intended (i. e. one local resident helped). Your origina

Thank you, RayH for confirming. Just to be really sure. Is it natural to say "Are you a local?" or "I'm a local"?

Hi New2grammar

I've gone through the following Britsh English dictionaries and the definitions are as follows:

local [usually plural] someone who lives in a place where you are or the place that you are talking about: We asked one of the locals to recommend a restaurant. (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English)

local [usually plural]

Thanks, Yoong Liat.