23/08/2025
CAUSE: geological change. CLUE: in the Parish of St David. FOLKLORE: handed down over centuries
Major Earthquakes we all remember are the 1692 & 1907 that sank Port Royal & destroyed downtown Kingston respectively.
Additional significant earthquakes with reported intensity include events in 1667, 1688, 1771, 1812, 1824, 1839, 1914, 1943, and more recent ones in 2005 and 2020.
The Judgement Cliff landslide remains visible today and is a key geological feature resulting from the 1692 earthquake. It is located in the lower Yallahs valley of what was St. David Parish**👇🏽. This landslide was a large rock-slide displacing land surface by up to 800 meters horizontally. It killed at least 19 people and remains one of the largest and most spectacular landslides in Jamaica. The landslide is associated with the earthquake, though heavy rains from a hurricane a few months later may have contributed to its final occurrence.
**Saint David Parish, located on the western side of St. Thomas in the East, became part of the expanded St. Thomas Parish on May 1, 1867.
According to legend, the plantation belonged to a particularly cruel Dutch owner who mistreated his slaves and was wicked in his ways. The locals saw the landslide as a form of divine justice or “judgment” being served to the evil plantation owner, which is why the area came to be known as “Judgement Cliff.” Some local residents and storytellers also mention unique phenomena around the area, such as the “Brukweh Spring,” where the water temperature seemingly changes with the weather, adding to the mystique of the place.
