EXOPOLITICAL DISCLOSURE: UFO/Extraterrestrial Disclosure - Disclosure Petitions, Demands for Investigations into Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as Reported by Citizens, Police, Astronauts, Pilots and the Military!

The movement to disclose the truth about the extraterrestrial presence and the unidentified flying objects (UFOs) phenomena reaches another level with the submission of the Disclosure Petition II through the tireless advocacy of Stephen Bassett's Paradigm Research Group (PRG), and author and prominent UFO researcher Richard Dolan's The Need To Know Petition.

These petitions comes several weeks after the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) answered thousands of signed petitions, by declaring that the United States government had no credible evidence of any alien presence on or off planet Earth.

On November 30, 2011, Richard M. Dolan and Bryce Zabel, co-authors of A.D. After Disclosure, drafted a petition to the White House to "Investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as Reported by Citizens, Police, Astronauts, Pilots and the Military." The full text of the petition reads:

"Searching for microbes on Mars and radio signals from space is not enough. We must explain Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAP, right here on Earth. For six decades worldwide, credible witnesses (including Presidents Carter and Reagan) have consistently described objects with flight capabilities beyond our technology. UAP are often verified by radar and even seen at nuclear sites by military officers. Given the national security implications, the United States should conduct an independent investigation. This inquiry must transparently review the key unsolved UAP reports with access to classified documents. It must have the power to call witnesses and grant immunity. The findings should be publicly presented."

The petition is valid for 30 days, and expires Dec. 30, 2011. It requires 25,000 signatures to elicit a response from the White House. Please sign. Go to http://afterdisclosure.com - AD.

WATCH: Richard Dolan - The Need To Know Petition.

In response to the Disclosure Petition I, the OSTP stated, "The U.S. government has no evidence that any life exists outside our planet, or that an extraterrestrial presence has contacted or engaged any member of the human race."  If true, what was the OSTP investigating from March 1993 to October 1996 in concert with billionaire and Clinton friend, Laurance Rockefeller? Those who knew of and have not spoken publicly of this initiative include: Bill Clinton, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton, Obama transition co-chair John Podesta, Sec. of Defense Leon Panetta, Dr. John Gibbons, Albert Gore and Governor Bill Richardson. - PRG.

Learn more about the demand for a congressional investigation of the UFO/extraterrestrials subject by signing the petition.

You can visit the following websites for more details:

Investigate Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as Reported by Citizens, Police, Astronauts, Pilots and the Military.

Demand a full congressional investigation of UFO/ET Disclosure efforts by the Clinton OSTP - the Rockefeller Initiative.

Paradigm Research Group.

End of Secrecy Now.

After Disclosure.

Disclosure Petition.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Freakish Weather System Produces Destructive Winds Across the Globe - Violent Hurricane-Force Storms Pummels American States, Mexico, Scotland And Wales; Toppling Trucks, Trees, And Power Lines!

More than 200,000 people in Southern California, and thousands more in Utah, are still waiting for power to be restored after this week's epic windstorm.

Thousands Waiting for Power After Epic Windstorm.

Los Angeles resident Sandra Hernandez is one of the luckier ones. Her power was restored Friday afternoon, more than 36 hours after it was blown out. Hernandez, who has a toddler and is also taking care of her mother, said area stores were wiped clean of supplies. "We went to several stores like Target, True Value, and CVS, but they were sold out of batteries and flashlights." The powerful winds that tore across Western states Wednesday through Friday created a path destruction that closed schools, left neighborhoods with a snarl of downed trees and power lines, and prompted some communities to declare emergencies. The storms, described as a once-in-a-decade event, were the result of a dramatic difference in pressure between a strong, high-pressure system and a cold, low-pressure system, meteorologists said. This funnels strong winds down mountain canyons and slopes. All over Twitter, people in Southern California tweeted that they felt like they were in the middle of a hurricane. Although California and Utah took the brunt of the storm, the howling winds were intruding into the Desert Southwest on Thursday as well. Northern Santa Ana winds sweeping down through canyons created gusts comparable to a hurricane. At one point, peak sustained winds at the summit of Mammoth Mountain, California were the same as a strong Category 4 hurricane. The National Weather Service issued high wind warnings and wind advisories for parts of California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming. - The Weather Channel.

WATCH: A different kind of Santa Ana winds.

Hurricane-force winds topping 100 mph in some places ripped through Utah Thursday, overturning semi-trailer rigs on Interstate 15, toppling trees and triggering widespread power outages affecting nearly 50,000 homes and businesses.

Hurricane-force Winds Buffet Utah, Toppling Trucks, Trees, Power Lines.

The Utah Highway Patrol reported 16 semis overturned by the wind on the state’s highways Thursday, including three on Legacy Parkway and 10 more on Interstate 15 in Davis County, where winds lashed at 102 mph, said Cpl. Todd Johnson. None of the drivers suffered more than minor injuries. The winds weren’t quite as fierce by Thursday afternoon, but still gusting at more than 55 mph in places, the Utah Department of Transportation reported. In Davis County, the winds had slowed to 30 mph by Thursday afternoon and were expected to continue to slow, according to the county sheriff’s office. But the wind damage left behind prompted the county to issue a disaster declaration Thursday night saying infrastructure damage exceeds $3.5 million. It will also close all schools in the Davis School District on Friday. Twenty-eight of those schools were closed Thursday as the wind knocked out power, downed trees, damaged rooftop equipment and shattered windows in 30 school buses. "Our main focus is to make sure that our students and employees are safe," superintendent Bryan Bowles said in a press release. "We know families have been affected by this storm, not only students who go to schools, but also staff members who work in our schools."


Blowing snow closed Interstate 80 at Evanston, Wyo., early Thursday, and parts of the FrontRunner train route were closed from Layton to Salt Lake City Thursday morning due to power outages, debris on the tracks and damage to stations, including 15 toppled light poles in Farmington. The Utah Transit Authority also advised passengers using its Paratransit service in Weber and Davis to cancel trips Thursday. Winds toppled trees, power poles and electrical lines in both northern and southern Utah, said Dave Eskelsen, spokesman for Rocky Mountain Power. An estimated 14,500 Salt Lake Valley residents were without power as of Thursday afternoon, along with roughly 20,000 in the Ogden area and another 14,500 in Davis County. The outages included the Davis County sheriff’s office, though the building continued to operate on a generator. Eskelsen said the outages were massive and widespread, taxing the utility’s repair crews to their maximum. With that in mind, Rocky Mountain Power was warning those without service to brace for being powerless for about 48 hours. "All our crews are out. We’re going to have, literally, thousands of damage points to repair," he explained. "Our first priority is safety, but obviously we want to be able to get everyone back in service." Rocky Mountain Power crews were also called out late Wednesday night in Ivins, where two toppled power poles left 3,000 homes without electricity, but service was restored within a couple hours. - The Salt Lake Tribune.

WATCH: Utah Wind Storm Damage.

Strong winds sweeping across New Mexico have resulted in scattered power outages, difficult driving conditions and roof damage that ended classes early at one Valencia County school.

Strong Winds Whip Through New Mexico Leaving Power Outages.

The National Weather Service says damaging winds were expected to continue into Thursday evening. Forecasts are calling for gusts of 65 to 75 mph along the Central Mountain chain and to the west. Students at Valencia High School were sent home early after winds damaged the school's roof. By late afternoon, Albuquerque police had reports of power outages and down trees around the city but no injuries. State highway officials say strong winds forced a tractor trailer onto its side in northern New Mexico. The winds are expected to die down Friday, but forecasters say parts of western and central New Mexico could see significant snow overnight. - The Republic.

Severe gale force winds caused damage and disruption to national and local ferry services and flights today – and destroyed a caravan in the Skerries.

Gale-force Winds Create Havoc in Scotland, Prompting Scores of Calls to Emergency Services.

Shetland experienced the highest winds in the UK, with 81mph gusts recorded in Foula, 73mph in Lerwick and 69mph in Fair Isle. NorthLink’s sailings were delayed or cancelled and there were no inter-island ferries on some routes. There were no ferries on Bressay or Bluemull Sounds or to Whalsay in the morning, and the Yell Sound service was down to a single ferry. Normal service resumed on these routes in the afternoon, although the Skerries service was off all day. The reduction followed the strike yesterday when there were no ferries at all. Flights to and from Sumburgh were also disrupted, with the early morning flight from Aberdeen and the 12.15pm departure to the city both cancelled. No activity took place at all at Scatsta airport as the wind speed and sea state were outwith operating limits. All 18 daily helicopter flights were cancelled and there were no fixed wing flights either. The wind prompted many calls to the emergency services, with Lerwick police dealing with 52 in 48 hours. They were called to clear debris from near the Queen’s Hotel early this morning, and the fire service was called out twice. They secured unsafe windows and masonry at the former Judane knitwear factory in the town, where firefighters tied a rope round the central pillar of a window and secured it to a pillar inside the building to made the area safe.

Earlier they were called to a house in Lerwick’s Arheim where a trampoline was in danger of blowing away. The owners could not hold it down and firefighters dismantled it. Meanwhile Christopher Hay’s caravan in Skerries was flattened. He said his brother had gone outside to check on the caravan and it was “completely gone, blown over and absolutely nothing left”. Christopher bought the caravan a few years ago with the intention of doing it up. The gales yesterday morning put a permanent end to that aspiration. The problems followed a day of disruption on the North boats on Wednesday, when the Hjaltland left Lerwick at 2pm due to the poor weather conditions and arrived into Aberdeen at 9.15am. Although the northbound Hrossey left Aberdeen on time at 7pm on Wednesday, she only arrived into Lerwick at 2.30pm yesterday. Normal service on both the passenger and freight services will resume this evening. Fair Isle weatherman Dave Wheeler said the F9-10 winds had been stronger than expected in Shetland. The brunt of the severe gales had been expected in Fair Isle and Orkney, he said, instead of which the system tracked further north. The gales moderated in the afternoon with winds reaching a mere 50-60mph. - Shetland Times.

The hardy souls who take a caravan holiday in North Wales at this time of year are well used to wet and windy weather.

Wales Holidaymakers run for cover as tornado rips caravan park leaving trail of destruction.

But even they weren’t prepared for the 80mph tornado that ripped through their holiday park, throwing one mobile home 50ft. Holidaymakers ran for shelter as the twister hit the Sandy Beach Caravan Park in Anglesey, destroying six caravans and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. John Seymour-Jones, who owns the park at Llanfwrog, said: ‘It was so sudden, the first we knew was when a staff member rushed in to say the caravans were being lifted in the air and bits flying all over the place. ‘We went out and could just see a line of vans knocked over and a static van with its roof ripped off. There was a straight line where the tornado had come through, nothing either side was damaged. No staff were injured, we were very lucky.’ - Daily Mail.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: WEATHER ANOMALIES - Highly Unusual Drought Triggers Alarm Across The Balkans, the Worst Drought in Decades!

"The Bosna river is so low, you can walk from one bank to another," said Emir Emric, a fisherman. "People catch fish with bare hands — and not only any fish — but 20-kilogram (44-pound) catfish."

The waters of the mighty Danube are so low that dozens of cargo ships are stuck, stranded in ghostly fog or wedged into sand banks on what is normally one of eastern Europe's busiest transport routes.

A lack of rain has triggered the worst drought in decades for this time of year, dropping river levels to record lows and sounding an alarm in parts of central and eastern Europe. Power supplies are running low in Serbia, drinking water shortages have hit Bosnia, and crop production is in jeopardy in Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary. The Czech Republic is at its driest since records began in 1775. Meteorologists say they are not sure why the region has had far less rain than average since August — but they don't see any more coming quickly. That is bad news for shipping companies that are already reporting big losses. "This is a disaster," said Branko Savic, the manager of a privately owned Danube shipping company in Serbia that he says is operating at only a third of its capacity. "Traffic on the Danube is practically nonexistent. . . We are in dire need of enormous amounts of water, rain, or melting snow in order to better the situation." About 80 big cargo ships are stranded at the Serbia-Hungary border on the Danube, Europe's second largest river, which winds 2,860-kilometer (1,777-mile) from Germany, passing through eight countries before flowing into the Black Sea. "In my many years of experience as a boat captain, I don't remember a drought as harsh as this one," said Anton Balasz, whose ship is among those stuck where exposed sand banks are preventing boats from passing.

Sunken German World War II-era ships have surfaced on the Danube and unexploded bombs that fell during the 1940s emerged from the Sava river in Serbia. At the normally bustling northern Bosnian port of Brcko on the Sava river, workers have been told not to expect any work until further notice. "If the situation continues, we could easily send all of our work force home," said Mustafa Nukovic, the port's general manager, pointing to the empty cargo terminals and boats parked in the docks. In Bosnia, drinking water restrictions have been introduced at night in Sarajevo and other cities. "The Bosna river is so low, you can walk from one bank to another," said Emir Emric, a fisherman. "People catch fish with bare hands — and not only any fish — but 20-kilogram (44-pound) catfish." Electricity supplies are also running low in Bosnia and Serbia because hydropower plants cannot produce enough power due to the low river water levels. If there is no rain in the next couple of days, hydroelectric plants will be shut down, said Bosnian Serb Energy Minister Zeljko Kovacevic. Environmentalists are also worried. A World Wildlife Fund report noted a sharp drop in bird populations along the lower stretch of the Danube because of the persistent drought. The current level of the river along the Bulgarian bank is at its lowest since 1941, and shipping on large stretches of the river has ground to a halt, according to the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River.

The Bulgarian section between the ports of Somovit and Silistra has a total of 14 spots where the Danube level is below the river navigation minimum of 250 centimeters (98 inches), and 6 spots were the waters are as shallow as 160 centimeters (63 inches). In Romania, officials say that though the country had a bumper wheat harvest this year, the drought looks set to severely damage next year's production. "If the drought continues, the wheat crop will be down by at least 20 percent," said Marcel Cucu, the spokesman for the Romanian League of Agriculture Producers Associations. After having to deal with large areas of farmland under water in 2010, in 2011 Hungary faces the opposite problem — the lack of rainfall. While the 2011 harvest has resulted in good yields, expectations for 2012 are not very encouraging, said Gyorgy Czervan, state secretary at the Ministry of Rural Development. Czervan said the average rainfall measured across the country so far this has year has been between 240 millimeters (9.45 inches) and 500 millimeters (19.7 inches), around half the normal amount. The dearth of rain has caused the soil to harden in many parts of the country, making autumn planting of some products very difficult. - Yahoo.

MYSTERY: Symbols of an Alien Sky, Man-Made or Natural Phenomena - The Latest UFO Sightings And Aerial Anomalies Around The World?!

Here are several of the latest unidentified flying objects (UFOs) seen recently across the globe. I am not sure of exactly when these aerial anomalies were captured, so I have only listed the states or countries.

Mount Ruapehu, New Zealand.

Russia.

New York, America.

Belgium.

Florida, America.

Japan.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Val D'Isaster - World Cup Skiing Event Cancelled Due to Lack of Snow, as Warm Weather Signals Catastrophic Season in the Alps!

Ski resorts in Europe are continuing to struggle with a lack of snow - which has seen the cancellation of a series of World Cup alpine races.

The French resort of Val d'Isere was forced to abandon the event, due to take place on December 10 and 11, because of the balmy autumn which has this year beleaguered the continent. Its slopes, seen here in these staggeringly barren photographs, have been badly affected by the warmest and driest autumn in the Alps for 147 years. The hotter than usual weather is also posing problems across the rest of the continent, with a number of tourist destinations having had to postpone opening. St Anton, in Austria, will not open for at least another week, and Skiwelt, also in Austria, will not be taking skiers until December 15.

In other areas the situation is so bad that people who have not yet booked their trips are being advised to only consider resorts with high-altitude ski areas. This is because springlike temperatures mean the snow line for many resorts is far higher than usual. Scotland, Bulgaria and Germany have yet to open their main resorts. But it is not all bad news for European skiers. Scandinavia has reported up to 55cm of snow in the past week, Zermatt in Switzerland is fully open, and Solden saw 24cm of fresh snow yesterday. Al Morgan, information manager from the Ski Club of Great Britain said skiers should look to glacier resorts to be guaranteed snow but there are some non-glacial locations across Europe where you can still ski. He said: 'There is good news for European ski resorts as snow is forecast for this weekend and next week. 'The heaviest snowfall is expected to fall at the western European resorts, but resorts in the east should receive fresh snow too.

Val D'Isere is usually covered in snow during the ski season.

'Around 40cm of new snow could fall over the next nine days in parts of France and Switzerland. The fresh snow should dramatically improve the overall snow cover across the Alps. 'Even without the fresh snow, many European resorts are hoping to open for the winter season this coming weekend thanks to the great efforts of grooming and snow making teams. 'It has been snowing in Scotland this week too and if the snowfall continues, as it is forecast to, then the Scottish resorts should be able to open in the not too distant future.' The Met Office said that a cold front was expected over mainland Europe by the end of this week, starting tomorrow. Its report said: 'A glorious week of bright sunshine and clear skies is expected over the majority of our featured European resorts.

'However, on Friday 2nd December a drop in temperature is expected, snow is therefore forecast to fall, although this may only be across higher areas up.' But it warned that: 'At lower altitudes this could fall as rain.' The snow is expected to fall and settle at heights above 1,500m. Over in America, where the World Cup races will now take place at Beaver Creek resort in Colorado, there has been no such problem. The start of the North American ski season has seen a much better 1.2m fall of snow on West Coast runs and up to 60cm of new powder on the East Coast. - Daily Mail.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Minor Damage Reported After 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake Rattles New Zealand's Capital!

A 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck under the strait separating New Zealand's major north and south islands Saturday night, causing minor damage in the capital Wellington. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has this earthquake listed as a 5.3 Magnitude. The New Zealand Seismology Agency has listed it as a 5,7 Magnitude. The earthquake was strongly felt in both the Marlborough and the Wellington Areas. Seismic stations in Wellington picked up measurements of 6.0 and 5.9 Magnitude just 1.1 km from the epicentre.

The quake struck at 7:19pm local time at a depth of 37.1 miles under the Cook Strait, 20 miles south-southwest of Wellington, the United States Geological Survey reported. New Zealand's GNS Science measured the earthquake as 5.7 on the Richter scale. The tremor was felt strongly in Wellington and Marlborough on the north and south islands, respectively, stuff.co.nz reported. There were several reports of minor damage to buildings in Wellington, the website reported, adding that witnesses described the tremor as lasting around 20 seconds. There were no reports of any casualties. GeoNet duty officer Tony Hurst told the New Zealand Herald the quake was the largest recorded in the region for around 20 years. - FOX News.

Highrise windows shattered, apartments were evacuated and houses shook as a 5.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Wellington, Marlborough and much of central New Zealand. GNS Science says the quake at 7.19pm tonight was centred 30 kilometres east of Picton at a depth of 60 kilometres. It was 30 km north-east of Blenheim and 40 km west of Wellington. It was felt strongly in the Marlborough and Wellington areas, GNS said. Police say there has been damage to louvres and windows broken on the Meridian Building on Custom Quay Street in central Wellington. Some of the louvres have come loose and are hanging precariously. The Quay Apartments in Picton had to be evacuated as a hot water cylinder burst and set off the fire alarms. Two other cylinders were also damaged in the town, according to the Fire Service. Supermarkets in Wellington say they felt the quake but it was not strong enough for things to fall off shelves. However, Janet Enge of Eastbourne posted on Facebook that she was in the local Four Square store and "stuff came off the shelves." Nelson police said the quake was felt there but they have had no reports of damage or injury. - TVNZ.

DELUGE: 21 of the 30 States in Odisha, India Have Been Devastated by Two Successive Floods!

Odisha on Friday asked the central government to provide early assistance of Rs 3,265.38 crore for relief and rehabilitation work in regions hit by the September floods.

At least 21 of state's 30 districts were devastated by two successive floods and the state government asked the centre to provide assistance of Rs 3,265.38 crore and for release of adhoc assistance of Rs 1,000 crore. "The union government did not respond to our request and promptly deputed an inter-ministerial central team for assessment of the losses and requirement of central assistance," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.

The chief minister said the central team concluded its field visit September 30 but the high level committee which will take a final view on the matter has not yet been convened and no fund has been released so far. "I shall be grateful if you kindly convene the meeting …for considering the claim and take steps to release central assistance from the national disaster response fund at the earliest," Patnaik wrote. - IBN Live.

PLANETARY TREMORS: 5.6 Quake Rocks Barbuda in the Leeward Islands!

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake has struck East of Barbuda, Leeward Islands at a depth of 10.3 km (6.4 miles). The quake hit at 09:27:11 UTC, Saturday the 3rd of December, 2011. The epicentre was 212 km (132 miles) East of Codrington, Barbuda, Leeward Islands; 233 km (144 miles) northeast of Saint John's, Antigua; 256 km (159 miles) northeast of Les Abymes, Guadeloupe; 669 km (415 miles) east of San Juan, Puerto Rico. No tsunami warning was issued and there are no reports of any injuries or damage at this time.

DELUGE OF FLOODS AND GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Heavy Rains and Land Subsidence Wrecks Havoc in Barbados!

Here are two stories out of the Caribbean island of Barbados of the geological changes along the convergent margins and active accretionary prisms of the Puerto Rico Trench in the West Indies region.

THE HEAVENS OPENED over Barbados again yesterday resulting in a deluge which caused flooding and other problems. The Barbados Meteorological Office issued a flood warning which was in effect until 6 p.m. This forced early closure for schools at 1 p.m. “A persistent trough system in combination with the inter-tropical convergence zone continues to generate cloudy to overcast skies, periods of rain, occasional outbreaks of moderate to heavy showers and isolated thunderstorms across the island,” it said. A WEEKEND NATION team went to some trouble spots. In Apple Hall Tenantry Road, St Philip, residents said they were fed up with the state of the only track which allowed access to their homes. “Every time it rains, we can’t get out [with vehicles]. We’ve been begging for help for 25 years and we are tired,” said Cheryl Alleyne. She, along with Marie Crichlow, Betsy Thompson and Delphene Coppin, said many residents had to park as far away as Inch Cape and walk as their cars were unable to traverse the muddy, waterlogged track. “We’re not asking for a mountain; we just need something accessible,” said Coppin. The women said the path was once level but had deteriorated over time to the point where utility and emergency services were reluctant to enter. “That water does be in them holes for weeks!” declared Crichlow. “Now we have to take our garbage to the development next door because [the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) trucks do not] come in here.” The women were critical of parliamentary representative, Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley, for not paying them enough attention. But in response, Lashley said he had been in Cabinet recently but assured them the matter was not being overlooked. “We are aware of the situation and [the Ministry of Transport and Works], along with myself and the minister [John Boyce] will be looking into it,” Lashley said. In Wiltshire, St Philip, Frank Jackman was unable to go home because flood waters blocked the path. Instead, he decided to “spend an hour or so” with relatives on Wiltshire Plantation until the waters subsided. “We live near the junction of Bayfield and Marley Vale, but it is too deep for our car to pass through, so we will wait here for an hour or so. This often happens around this time of year, but I would appreciate it if Government could build a proper gutter for the water to run off,” he said. In Mount All, White Hill, St Andrew, a road caved in, blocking passage through the area. Resident Venice Lowe said he had noticed a crack from Wednesday evening. “It started around 3 p.m [Wednesday] when the road had a crack; then by 11 a.m [yesterday], it started to sink,” he said.

By afternoon, the road had become impassable and MTW personnel placed barrels and signs to warn motorists. Lowe said it looked like the entire section would soon slip away, especially if the inclement weather continued. Member of Parliament George Payne said the problem was a burst main under the road which the Barbados Water Authority had ignored. “Residents have been complaining for a week,” Payne said, “but no one came, so the water undermined the whole structure and it started to collapse.” Calling the situation “the worst slippage I have ever seen in St Andrew” since he became MP, Payne said residents now had to go through Belleplaine to get from one side to the other, adding Government was to have moved residents from the area a long time ago. Meantime, inspite of the incessant rains, the Department of Emergency Management (DEM) said it did not get any flood reports. “I was there all day,” said Judy Thomas, director of DEM. “The persons were given the warning, and warning means that you are supposed to do certain things at home if you know your vulnerability. I would have expected by now that Barbadians know where they live, and what happens when it rains alot, they would have got out and do what was necessary,” said Thomas. She said that DEM would only respond to calls if [circumstances] exceeded the ability of people affected to deal with them. “Persons might have had some flooding in areas but it did not impede them to the extent that we had to be called in.” Thomas said the only situation the DEM anticipated was that schoolchildren would have been out at [3 p.m.] and at this time of the year, with diminishing light, it would have been difficult for some of them to manoeuvre. “The Ministry of Education, after consultation with the [Ministry of Home Affairs], made the determination that the children would get off an hour earlier. My minister had inquired about our concern and [their plight] was the concern we had,” said Thomas. - Nation News.

WHEN PHYLLIS CUMBERBATCH moved back into her home at Vaughn Road No 1, St Joseph, she knew she was takinga huge risk. But with nowhere else to go, she had no other choice but to go back home, while hoping and praying that the severe land slippage in the area had subsided. But her prayers have not been answered – the land beneath her house continues to slip so badly that huge cracks are now visible in the foundation and the house is coming apart at the seams. Cumberbatch is afraid that her house will soon end up in the gully that is presently behind it. “The well in the backyard is sinking and the ground is pulling away,” she cried, as she also pointed to a huge crack in the foundation of the area, which was once a shop, but which she was forced to close. The long stretch of road started to collapse back in 2008, making it impassable to vehicular traffic and difficult for pedestrians to traverse. Cumberbatch, who was one of about five residents affected by the slippage, moved out and sought refuge at a friend. However, she said she could no longer stay there because that house was also damaged by Tropical Storm Tomas last year, so she returned home in May. She pointed out that after moving back, workmen from the Ministry of Transport and Works installed two sets of steps at each end of the road, but those steps have also pulled away from the land and are cracking. “I have a slipped disc and it is hard for me to climb those steps and now I don’t feel safe because the steps are cracking too,” she said. She said while her 12-year-old son and two-year-old daughter were still living with her at the house, her 15-year-old daughter was so afraid that she was living at her grandmother. Another resident, Mocky Holder, lamented that Government was not doing anything to solve the road problem. “Because this road is impassable, other people who live out here have to take the long road to get out, and a lot of them are elderly people. It is really hard on them and the road does not have any street lights, so at night it is pitch black,” he said.

“The people from the Ministry of Transport and Works come and put in these temporary steps. They rush through the job and never put in any steel so the steps are pulling away. This is dangerous; anybody can fall between that crack in the step and break their foot,” he said. He added that since the road collapsed he had not seen a Government minister, neither or parliamentary representative for the parish, Dale Marshall. “I have never seen any of them out here. I think the area is being neglected. There are 25 houses out here and it is difficult for anyone to get to us in case there is an emergency. If the other road start to sink, I wonder what will happen to the people out here. We need some serious assistance in this area. We desperately need help,” Holder cried. He expressed the belief that a tunnel, which was running underneath the road, was probably blocked and that was why the water was being trapped and undermining the integrity of the road. When contacted, constituency representative Dale Marshall, a member of the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP), said St Joseph was being neglected by the Government. “I am familiar with the situation in Vaughn Road. I have been there on several occasions and I know about the challenges. It is one of the contiguous districts, including Suriname and Chimborazo, which are all suffering  severe slippage.” Marshall pointed out that the BLP had committed to a huge $35 million project in the Scotland District and had passed legislation to deal with such. “All the work has been thrown out by this Government. It is as if it never happened,” he said. He added that there was a relocation grant that Government could use to relocate persons in the affected areas. Pointing to the St Joseph Parish Church, which was forced to close its doors due to severe cracks in the walls, and the collapse of the road at Dark Hole, in St Joseph, Marshall said it seemed as if the residents of St Joseph would have to wait until the BLP returned to office to deal with the issues. When contacted, Phillip Tudor, Senior Technical Officer at the Ministry of Transport and Works, said the steps at Vaughn Road were supposed to be temporary and they were supposed to be wooden steps. He explained that an in-depth analysis of the road would be conducted but this would have to be done during the dry season. However, he pointed out that the land slippage in the area was severe. - Nation News.