As of 8:41 am this morning April 9, 2021 an explosive eruption began at the La Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent. This is a culmination of the seismic activity that began on April 8. The eruption is ongoing and more information will be shared as things progress. #lasoufriere #uwi #volcano #svg
NEMO St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Thousands on St Vincent ordered to flee NOW ahead of ‘imminent’ eruption of La Soufrière volcano EVACUATE! Thousands on St Vincent ordered to flee NOW ahead of ‘imminent’ eruption of La Soufrière volcano 9 Apr 2021 THOUSANDS of people on the Carribean island of St. Vincent have been ordered to flee ahead of an imminent eruption of La Soufrière volcano. Evacuation alarms were blaring across the island, while the narrow roads at the base of the volcano were blocked up as locals scrambled to pack the essentials and leave at such short notice. Latest images of the dome taken before sunset from a summit camera showed the volcano’s top glowing. The dome had reached the height of the crater rim, allowing remaining locals to see a glow overnight from the hot rock. The risk level of the eruption was raised to “red alert”, after prime minister Ralph Gonsalves deemed the situation an “emergency”. “This is an emergency situation, and everyone understands that,” Gonsalves said. He had been speaking to the governments of neighbouring countries including St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, he said, about the feasibility of them providing temporary shelter to some of the 16,000 that would be displaced. Two cruise ships were enroute to help with the evacuation effort 5 Two cruise ships were enroute to help with the evacuation effortCredit: AFP We are on the way to St. Vincent to evacuate residents at risk from a potential eruption of the island’s La Soufriere volcano. We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as evacuation efforts continue. For more info: https://t.co/3esCmE54zs — Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) April 9, 2021 Two cruise ships were also enroute to help with the evacuation effort, after being diverted from the Royal Caribbean line. “We are on the way to St. Vincent to evacuate residents at risk from a potential eruption of the island’s La Soufriere volcano,” the Royal Carribean tweeted. “We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as evacuation efforts continue.” One complication of the evacuation effort was the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister Gonsalves said people could be required to be vaccinated against the virus if they went on board a cruise ship or seek temporary refuge in other islands. There had been four major eruptions of La Soufrière in the past four centuries, the Times reported. The most devastating of the eruptions was in 1902, when an estimated 1,600 people were killed. https://www.thesun.ie/news/6822163/thousands-st-vincent-ordered-flee-eruption-la-soufriere-volcano/
ST LUCIA: Following the update from the Office of the Prime Minister, on the situation of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines La Soufrière Volcano, the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), through its Disaster Preparedness Committee, has activated its Port Response Plan to facilitate and receive evacuees. The plan identifies the George F.L Charles Airport and the Castries Seaport as the designated entry points for evacuees. The Authority is working in close tandem with essential partners, particularly the Ministry of Health and Wellness to ensure adherence to the Ministry’s stipulated COVID 19 protocols. SLASPAs General Manager, Mr. Daren Cenac noted since the initial pronouncement of activity at the La Soufriere Volcano, the Authority reviewed and strengthened various aspects of its port operations. Our Airports Division is in active dialogue with the Eastern Caribbean Air Traffic Management Group to activate contingency plans for potential aviation disruption. As well, our Maritime and Seaports Divisions are working assiduously to ensure business continuity. SLASPA continues to work with the Government of Saint Lucia through the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in Saint Lucia, other relevant, local and regional officials, and counterpart agencies to respond to any possible effects of the ongoing natural disaster in Saint Vincent. https://thevoiceslu.com/2021/04/slaspa-activates-port-response-plan-to-receive-evacuees/
Click back more new LIVE videos uploading The start of a new day. Long exposure photo taken by volcano seismologist Roderick Stewart at the Belmont Observatory early this morning. You can clearly see the glow from the new dome. @nemosvg20 and the Centre continues to monitor and provide updates. #lasoufrière #volcano #svg #uwi #stilldangerous #redalert
Saint Vincent evacuates 16,000 people to rumbling volcano, cruise ships deployed | The volcano spews smoke and the magma glows through the Earth’s surface, according to images from the University of West Indies Seismic Research Center.
Saint Vincent evacuates 16,000 people to rumbling volcano, cruise ships deployed
The Caribbean island of Saint Vincent of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is gearing up for an impending volcanic eruption. From the north of the tropical island, where the volcano La Soufrière is located, about 16,000 people are evacuated in haste. Cruise ships are arriving today to get them to safety.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said more seismic activity had already been observed in recent weeks. But on Thursday he said he received a call from the emergency response service that the current rumble is “of a different order”. The service itself speaks on Twitter of a “substantial chance of a disaster”. With cars and ships, the population moves as quickly as possible to an area that is considered safe.
Gonsalves urges his population not to panic. Many fear the pandemic will make evacuation more difficult, as the prime minister said cruise lines and other islands only want to accommodate evacuees if they have been vaccinated. Gonsalves is in talks with other Caribbean islands to make sure they also welcome residents of Saint Vincent who only have an ID card, as not everyone has a passport. “This is an emergency, everyone understands that.”
Two ships from Royal Caribbean and two from Carnival Cruise Line will arrive today. The evacuees are taken to Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados and Antigua. People who are housed in one of the shelters on Saint Vincent itself are also called upon to be vaccinated urgently. Whether that is feasible is unclear.
It escalates pretty quickly
Erouscilla Joseph, University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center
Scientists alerted the government yesterday morning about a possible volcano eruption after seeing “magma just beneath the Earth’s surface,” Erouscilla Joseph, director of the University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Center, told AP news agency. “It’s escalating pretty quickly,” she says of the volcanic activity. It is not possible to predict too well what to expect in the coming hours and days.
The last volcanic eruption in the country dates back to 1979. La Soufrière is the only active volcano on Saint Vincent and has erupted violently five times since 1718. In 1902, more than a thousand people died in an eruption. The well-known British painter William Turner (1775 – 1851) painted the eruption of 1812. The painting hangs in a museum in Liverpool.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center is closely monitoring the situation.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center is closely monitoring the situation. Reuters