Nowhere to turn - McGlaushin residents battle isolation after road collapse

As he looked at the dark clouds that blanketed his community last week, Ezra Willis released a deep sigh. The farmer and businessman said he is grateful for the rainfall, but said the showers of blessings come with added stress for him and others living in McGlaushin, rural St Andrew. Getting in and out of the community has always been a difficult task due to the bad roads, but things took a huge turn for the worse last November when residents were cut off from vehicular traffic following massive land slippage.

"Things are not looking good, and when rain fall, which is almost every day, once we crossing over the little road that we make into Mount Prospect then we have to walk with more than one pair of shoes and some water. We nuh used to dem tings dere. The same shoes we wear over here and go cross the little track can't go on the road with, so we have to wash we foot and put on the good shoes," he said.

McGlaushin is home to dozens of farmers and other residents, but there was hardly anyone in sight when the news team visited the area yesterday. The district appeared eerily quiet and Willis said the broken road is a major contributing factor. He said a number of residents have temporarily relocated because of the transportation issue stemming from the road collapse.

"Some of the people dem who use to live here stay elsewhere now because it is very hard for them to travel. Some of dem just come here on weekends while some just gone for a while. Mi open the shop a day time but I really don't have any business here. Mi can't even say mi ago catch a sale during the days anymore because over here just seem forgotten," Willis said.

Uncertain if or when the roadway will be repaired, Willis said residents may have to take matters into their own hands to rebuild a section of the road.

"We going to have to open this road eventually so vehicle can drive. We gonna find a way. I can't park in my yard anymore so I have to park over by Mount Prospect side. I can't park at the shop anymore either, so now I have to pay people to walk over with the goods. People who have farms and so on have to be paying people to help them," he said.

"When people have load, dem have to pay the taxi man extra to walk and come carry over the tings dem. There are at least two elderly persons in the community and when them going anywhere, we have to take them out the wheelchair and lift them across. Sometimes dem have to do the same thing with the small children as well. It is very difficult for we here. Suppose somebody dead in the community and have to bury here? Six man cannot carry dat casket along the little walkway that was made, so how dat ago guh?" Willis added.

A woman, the only other person THE STAR team came across yesterday, said it is extremely difficult on residents, especially the children. She said they now have to leave their homes before dawn to travel to school daily.

"It's very hard when rain fall, and even the schoolchildren dem have to wake earlier and leave out to walk sometimes all 30 minutes on the old rough road to get a taxi [in Mount Prospect]. The road did already bad and now it worse where some holes in it. So you have to be careful where yuh walk. Honestly, mi don't leave mi house unless mi have to because it hard," the woman said.