Above the Oyravegur road in Klaksvík stands the Gerðar Memorial, erected on March 12, 1945, in remembrance of two devastating avalanches that struck the settlement Uppi í Gerðum in 1745 and 1765. Today, the stone-built monument is the only visible sign that a community once lived in this area.

The Gerðalíð Avalanche occurred twice, exactly 20 years apart, both times on March 12. The first avalanche hit on Grækarismessa (St. Gregory’s Day) in 1745, rolling down from the mountain ridge Kjølin and crashing into the homes in Gerðar. The farmhouse in Niðristova was badly damaged, and five people lost their lives. Despite the tragedy, the houses were rebuilt on the same site.

Then, exactly 20 years later, in the twilight of March 12, 1765, disaster struck again. A powerful avalanche swept down the slope directly toward the farms. The destruction was overwhelming. Of the 26 people present on the two farms, 20 perished under collapsed roofs and walls, buried beneath a four-meter-thick mass of snow, stone, and debris. Both farms, Norðistova and Niðristova, along with barns, stone houses, and cow sheds, were destroyed. Of the 23 cattle, only four survived.

Since then, no one has rebuilt on the original site. Today, the area is known as Uppi í Grundum. After the tragedies, homes were rebuilt further downhill, closer to Borðoyavík, where the houses still stand today.

No avalanches have struck Gerðar since, and according to local belief, such a disaster had never occurred there before either.