In the wake of all that has happened thus far in 2020, it's almost not surprising to read headlines of an entire town sliding into the ocean... Until the realization dawns that an entire town did, actually, slide down a cliffside, without any warning to its residents.

According to BBC, a small town on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, England, underwent a rude awakening when residents realized that their houses were moving. An interview with one resident, Emma Tullet, recounted the feeling of realizing her house was slowly crumbling around her, as she gathered up her family and fled the residence with only the clothes on their backs. In stark contrast to what many would think of when it comes to homes falling down a landslide, Tullet's home took a total of four days to eventually fall over the edge of the cliff. She described the process of watching the whole thing to BBC as being "like torture."

While it's not abundantly common for landslides to happen or to take entire towns down with them, it is a rare occurrence that has seemingly been more frequent due to global climate change. The events that unfolded in June in Kent were only the beginning to what experts predict will be a long and harried road as the fight against climate change continues, something that we, as humans, have yet to slow down.

Allowing Fate To Run Its Course

Sadly, the residents on the Isle of Sheppey have been told that based on where their homes sit, it's simply not worth the financial risk to rebuild or move the structures. The town sits on a layer of London Clay, which lines the cliffs and makes for very unstable ground. The soft ground is what has led to such a landslide and it's inevitable that more will happen in the coming years. Somewhat predictable, these same cliffs have slowly been falling to the Thames Estuary below, echoing what will eventually happen to each residence as time goes on.

According to the Swale Borough Council, it would cost somewhere along the lines of 25-million pounds in order to keep the town from slipping into the same fate as the Tullet's home. With 124 houses to save on land that spans roughly four miles, the cost would be astronomical to fight against Mother Nature. Due to this, residents have since received a letter from the Department for Environment stating that no action would be taken, thus leaving the town to its own natural fate over the course of the next few decades, much to the dismay of those who consider the Isle of Sheppey their home.

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Furthermore, any counteractive course of action could further complicate the situation - leading to an unnatural balance between humans and nature. With the situation being so tentative, there seems to be no solution other than to allow nature to run its own course.  The payment for this is the homes and potentially the well-being of the town's residents, many of whom have spent a large part of their lives in the area. With news from the council, long-term residents are now doubting their ability to stay in the area, along with voicing concerns over the future of their homes.

The Isle Of Sheppey Is Not The First

Unfortunately, this town is not the first in England to experience landslides such as this. Dating back to the 1980s, landslides have been responsible for decimating towns that sat too close to the cliffside, including Fairlight Cove. However, in their case, the town's residents were able to prove that the benefits of saving their town meant far more than the dollars put down in order to do so. A happy ending for some, but a bittersweet battle for those still living in the Isle of Sheppey, facing what would have been the same fate for Fairlight Cove, had they not received government funding.

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In order to save this town, a rock berm was installed, costing only little more than the original estimate it would take to save the Isle of Sheppey. Furthermore, a second rock berm was installed in Fairlight Cove in 2007 in order to ensure the safety of its residents. In order to help this process along, it was on the significant efforts of the town - via fundraising sales and events - in order to raise the money to protect their land.

Now, the question remains unanswered as to whether the risk is on residents for not considering the risks or higher-ups for turning down a chance to save the town. The fate of the Isle of Sheppey, at this point, remains to be seen.

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