Saba News News and Information from Saba Island, Dutch Caribbean
The Executive Council of the Public Entity Saba invited the community to a town hall meeting.on Thursday, April 15th, 2021, at the Eugenius Johnson Center. The interest from the community was overwhelming.
For some time now, some Saba residents have had questions regarding the status of Saba’s Volcano. With the volcanic eruptions in St. Vincent, we are sure you have questions about Saba and neighboring islands’ volcanic activity. Experts from the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute)have been, strengthening the current volcano monitoring system. This offered an excellent opportunity to allow the community to have the experts answer their questions.
Volcanologist Elske de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen gave a presentation on the current situation on the island. The recording of this presentation is available on the Facebook page of the Public Entity. A direct link to the presentation is also HERE.
Works to construct a new monitoring station of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) on the northern coast of Saba have been completed. A team of Dutch military personnel, stationed in St. Maarten, has been carrying the materials along the North Coast Trail to the location on Grey Hill. The KNMI team has constructed the new monitoring station.
Military personnel on Thursday, April 8, ahead of time, completed the heavy task of carrying some 2000 kilograms of material on foot along the North Coast Trail, covering a difference in altitude of some 300 meters. On multiple trips per day, the men carried a number of very heavy items up the rough, mountainous trek to Grey Hill, such as a generator, a large satellite dish, the solar panels and the casing for the electronics. They also carried multiple bags with concrete and a load of water, necessary to mix concrete for the construction of the monitoring station and its foundations.
The KNMI team of four have constructed the foundation and the walls of the enclosure that will hold the seismic equipment. The team on Thursday started the construction of the frame for the solar panels. The foundation for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) was constructed, and the cables were laid in the cable ducts. The mast for the satellite dish has been installed. The construction of the monitoring station needs to be robust as it has to be able to withstand strong winds.
The monitoring station consists of a GNSS and a seismometer. With the GNSS, deformations of the Mt. Scenery volcano can be precisely measured. The seismometer registers local and regional earthquakes, and this data will also be used for tsunami warnings. The measuring station on Saba’s North Coast is extra special because it operates completely independently: the solar panels generate electricity while the satellite dish transmits the data.
On Thursday, April 8, Island Governor Jonathan Johnson visited the location, whereby he presented a Saba pin to Sergeant-Major Marine Frank. The military personnel arrived on Saba on April 5.
I saw the presentation of Elske, and remarkably good, she did also say something about the cause of the landslides and other erosion. The fact that on parts of the island there is no vegetation is mostly caused by the goats. It is a pitty that we did not give the marines a second job on the island. I suppose they can do that job faster than anybody else.
I wonder what would happen to the image of Saba within the Caribbean community if a goat-caused landslide on Saba triggered a tsunami that killed people on other islands. All will know that for the cause of this landslide certain people who own goats, plus the government are the guilty ones. Free traveling around could become dangerous for Saban people. I hope it will not come that far, and that, finally, the government will take some decisive measures.
Really????? Haven’t you learned enough lately. 2017 hurricanes, 2019/2020 covid, 2021 so far covid and volcanos erupting. More will happen if you continue. God put animals on this plant for humans to harvest not kill and leave there to rot like the plan that your savior Mr. Project leader has planned. I’m guessing that only time will tell. 2023 there will be a change in the tide let’s hope everyone has their pockets full by then. Because they too will want a piece of goat meat to eat one day.