The collapsed roadway at Balcarres in the Buff Bay Valley, Portland. - Gareth Davis

Hundreds of residents are now marooned following two days of torrential rainfall, which resulted in the collapse of a roadway in the Balcarres division in West Portland.

An emergency team, which was dispatched to the area yesterday, to clear that section of the roadway, stood helpless and stared in awe, having realised the severity of the damage caused by the heavy rainfall.

"This is worse than I thought," said Martin Wallace, a backhoe operator, who was dispatched to the area to clear the roadway. "I was told that it was a huge landslide and that it was an emergency, so I arrived here as quickly as I could. But this is more than an emergency, they need a miracle."

As a result, the heavy-duty equipment was neatly parked to the side of the roadway, as persons gazed at the damage, pondering the next move and whether or not the road situation will be remedied any time soon.

75 tourists

At least 75 tourists participating in the Blue Mountain bicycle tour, had their journey cut and were held up for several hours, as operators tried valiantly to transport cycles through the hills, under adverse weather conditions, to the makeshift starting point.

The entire roadway, which leads into the adjoining communities of Cascade, Revale, Stand Pipe, and Pad House, collapsed and plunged to a depth of approximately 400 feet shortly after 10 p.m Wednesday; rendering that roadway impassable to vehicular traffic and pedestrians.

A section of the collapsed roadway is also covered with fallen trees. This occurred during a landslide.

In the meantime, two families that were evacuated yesterday when water from the nearby Spanish River inundated their homes, have returned to their houses and have began the tiring process of cleaning up and drying their furniture and clothing.

The six-bedroom adjoining building is shared by Miss Jagaroo and her daughter, with a total of six persons occupying the facility.

The Spanish River, which is located approximately 400 feet away, overflowed its banks and inundated that entire area, while seeping onto the main road.