Montserrat: Living with a volcano
The volcano
in Montserrat erupted 75 times in a single month in 1997 and is still one of
the most active volcanoes in the world.
At 12:00 sharp every day, the mournful wail of the tiny
island's volcano sirens cut through the air like a knife.
The ominous soundtrack to life in this British overseas
territory can be heard across inhabited parts of its 100 sq km (39 sq miles).
Residents know if the sirens blare at any moment but noon,
it's time to run - fast.
Taunting in its perpetuity is the steam and bluish haze of
sulphur dioxide emitted from the slumbering monster in the south, whose
constant threat pervades the atmosphere like a viscous liquid.
Incessant activity
This is the reality for those living in the shadow of
Soufriere Hills.
Last month, Montserratians marked 20 years since the start
of the volcanic crisis which has rendered two-thirds of the island an exclusion
zone, turned the capital city into an apocalyptic movie scene deep in ash and
changed life here forever.
Or that its incessant activity, rather than the sudden brief
explosions favoured by Hollywood, would continue to this day.
Back in the early 90s, Montserrat's future looked bright.
A mammoth cleanup after devastating Hurricane Hugo in 1989
had seen the construction of much modern infrastructure and the territory was
experiencing unprecedented prosperity.
There was even talk of independence from Britain.
Fiery spectacle
When the hills first started to emit their brilliant white
steam, islanders say it was mesmerising and exciting. People would gather in
the evenings to watch the fiery incandescence in awe.
It was 14 months before the first eruption took place in
September 1996, sweeping away the villages of St Patrick's and Morris in less
than 20 minutes.
That year, the capital Plymouth was evacuated for the final
time - abandoned to become slowly buried under repeated mudflows - and a state
of emergency declared.
Today, Soufriere remains one of the most active volcanoes in
the world.
The population has plummeted from 11,500 to 5,000 with the
south of the island divided into five zones.
Permission to access them is dependent on the current hazard
level.
Strong bonds
Over the years, businesses have rebuilt in the north,
municipal offices have relocated to Brades and the government has created new
housing at Lookout, Davy Hill, Shinlands, Drummonds and Sweeneys.
The government has built new housing in Lookout in the
north-east of the island
Despite the gases and ash falls - which occasionally reach
as far as Antigua - Montserrat's stoic inhabitants largely go about their
business unperturbed, refusing to be defined as living on the precipice of
peril.
Tourists are politely told that "Montserrat is not a
volcano; it has a volcano" and assured that the north remains entirely
safe, with Soufriere under round-the-clock monitoring by a purpose-built
observatory.
As is often the way in the aftermath of disaster, the
close-knit community has forged stronger bonds than ever.
Crime is a rarity, front doors are unlocked, songs of hope
and healing, solidarity and unity, are ubiquitous.
These days, the "emerald isle" is carving a niche
for itself in adventure tourism with holidaymakers attracted to its "black
sand" beaches and the allure of experiencing a modern-day Pompeii.
Future plans
In the ruined Montserrat Springs hotel - once one of the
island's finest - visitors can scrabble through the ash into the reception
where paperwork still sits on the desk and into bedrooms where curtains hang
against wrecked walls.
overs the inside of the taken hold in some of the formerly
elegant rooms
From the side of the ravaged swimming pool, Plymouth is
visible just east of a huge fissure which appears in the desolate landscape
like a jaw wide open in astonishment.
Veronica Hickson's house is one of the few in Plymouth
that's not completely buried.
She recalls the evacuation order that came on 3 April 1996. "I've
been back since to see my house," she says. "It's sad but we have to
continue our lives."
In addition to tourism, hope for the future lies in geothermal
energy exploration and the exportation of volcanic sand for construction.
Islanders are keen to reduce reliance on Britain for
financial help - £420m ($655m) since 1995.
Former Governor Frank Savage, who presided over affairs from
1993 to 1997, recently paid tribute to the "stoicism" of
Montserratians and their "indomitable spirit" which he said would
lead to ever greater recovery.
New Governor Elizabeth Carriere, who takes up position this
month, agrees. "Montserrat's future lies in the hands of its most valuable
resource: its people," she said.
"I will work with the island's government to realise a
safe, sustainable and prosperous Montserrat."
Ms Carriere added: "Better sea links, tapping
opportunity for geothermal energy and improving technological links to the
wider world all have a part to play."
Author: Gemma HandyBrades
Geography
Montserrat measures approximately 16 km in length and
11 in width, with approximately 40 km of coastline.
On 18 July 1995, the
previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano in the southern part of the
island, became active. Eruptions destroyed Montserrat's Georgian era capital
city of Plymouth. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's
population was forced to flee, primarily to the United Kingdom, leaving fewer
than 1,200 people on the island as of 1997 (rising to nearly 5,000 by 2016).
The volcanic activity continues, mostly affecting the
vicinity of Plymouth, including its docking facilities, and the eastern side of
the island around the former W.H. Bramble Airport, the remnants of which
were buried by flows from volcanic activity on 11 February 2010.
An exclusion zone, encompassing the southern half of
the island to as far north as parts of the Belham Valley, was imposed because
of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting potential for pyroclastic activity. Visitors are
generally not permitted entry into the exclusion zone, but a view of the
destruction of Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles
Bay. Relatively quiet since early 2010, the volcano continues to be closely monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.
A new town and port are being developed at Little Bay, which
is on the northwest coast of the island. While this construction proceeds, the centre of government and
businesses is at Brades.
Ethnic composition
Ethnic composition
Residents of Montserrat are known as Montserratians. The population is predominantly, but not exclusively, of mixed African-Irish descent.[75] It is not known with certainty how many African slaves and indentured Irish labourers were brought to the West Indies, though according to one estimate some 60,000 Irish were "Barbadosed" by Oliver Cromwell,[76] some of whom would have arrived in Montserrat.
Data published by the Central Intelligence Agency indicates the ethnic group mix as follows (2011 est.):
- African/black 88.4%
- Mixed 3.7%
- Hispanic/Spanish 3%
- non-Hispanic Caucasian/white 2.7%
- East Indian/Indian 1.5%
- Other 0.7%
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