PORT MARIA, St Mary:

On entering the district of Aleppo, you are not only greeted with the sign 'Road closed', but also the voices of visitors and residents of the district speaking of the misfortune that has befallen the community.

It was only recently that the people of Aleppo were celebrating the opening of the road, an event that was years in the making.

On reaching the site of the devastation, the view is nothing less than heartbreaking. As a matter of fact, only a first-hand view gives a true picture of the damage, all of which occurred as a result of two days and two nights of rainfall.

The land slippage, which is massive, has removed approximately 20 metres of road and has left nearly half the community without electricity.

Two houses were also damaged and one house now lies 15 feet beyond its original location. Graves were also unearthed after a family plot moved with the land.

According to one resident, who was obviously saddened by the incident, "We gone back to square one, because the repair look impossible and me nuh know weh wi ago do down a 'leppo now".

Had not seen this before

Another resident told The Gleaner that he had been there for many years and had never seen anything like this in his lifetime.

According to geologists, who examined the road, the damage took place because the road was built on top of a river, which was supposed to have dried out nearly 200 years ago, but obviously, was awakened by the rains.

Further tests are slated to be carried out.

As residents watch to see what comes next, some still fear that things will get worse before they get better. They dread further disaster, as land slippage has continued.

- Lisia Lynch