CARIBBEAN INSIDER BLOG

If you did not believe in a higher power, or even the influence of Mother Nature, I am sure the volcanic eruption in Iceland and its impact on the entire world humbled you as it did me. The world did not come to an end as predicted in the movie “2012” but it certainly came to a massive STOP (the sequel may be “Volcano 2010!”).

The disruption in air traffic via Europe halted travellers and air cargo in and out of Europe costing airlines an estimated US$200 million a day. It also affected global manufacturers and suppliers with supply chains crossing the continent.

Closer to home the hotels and tour operators had to face testy passengers who although had enjoyed wonderful vacations, were anxious to get back to work and school.

Although, the whole episode was quite nerve wracking if you were in any way affected, I could not help but think how the world may now have a better understanding of the experience of Montserratians.

Montserrat is a small, 10 mile by 7 mile, British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands. With a strong cultural connection to Ireland given its early inhabitants and its lush landscape said to resemble coastal Ireland, it is known as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean and is the only country outside of Ireland that celebrates St. Patrick’s Day as a public holiday.

In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant throughout recorded history, rumbled to life and began an eruption which eventually buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 12 metres (39 feet) of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern half of the island uninhabitable. The first large event occurred in August 1995 blanketing Plymouth in a thick ash cloud which brought almost complete darkness for about 15 minutes. Shortly afterwards the first evacuation of southern Montserrat was initiated. Plymouth itself was finally abandoned in 1997. It now lies buried under layers of volcanic debris deposited by pyroclastic activity and mudflows - each time it rains in the Emerald Isle, a little more of the former capital disappears forever. Montserrat's capital Plymouth has been compared to a modern day Pompeii. Buried deep in ash and volcanic debris including boulders up to the size of the houses that once stood there, the once thriving business and commercial centre of the island now resembles a dust-covered lunar landscape through which deep canyons have been gouged. 

Following the destruction of Plymouth, more than half of the then population of 13,000 left the island due to the economic disruption and lack of housing. A period of regular eruptive events during the late 1990s took place, including one on June 25, 1997 in which 19 people died when they were overtaken by pyroclastic flows, and surges swept down the north-eastern flanks of the volcano causing the abandonment of the W H Bramble Airport.
 
The volcano's activity in recent years has been confined mostly to infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in the south. However, this ash venting does occasionally extend into the populated areas of the northern and western parts of the island. The southern part of the island has been evacuated and visits to that area are severely restricted. 

This year has seen some increased activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano. On January 18, 2010 pyroclastic flows reached the sea. On February 5th, a vulcanian explosion sent pyroclastic flows down several sides of the mountain, and on February 11th a partial collapse of the lava dome sent a column of ash more than 20,000 feet into the air that rained down on several nearby islands including Guadeloupe and Antigua. Due to favorable winds, the inhabited areas of Montserrat itself received very little ash from either event. 

When the ash is thick, the covering of grey dust can be seen on the mountains of Montserrat from the southern side of Antigua, and neighbouring islands are generally dusty - imagine a film of dust on your computer, on your furniture and on all cars, when nobody wastes time washing vehicles only to have to wash them again the same day. 

Periodically, flights in the Eastern Caribbean are cancelled due to ash affecting local travellers through the islands. I remember in 1997 when my son was months old, leaving him with a family friend while I was on a day trip to Puerto Rico, only to be forced to remain in San Juan for 3 days due to ash from the volcano. Unlike our current day counterparts in Europe, we didn’t stay at the airport or fuss or complain, but went back to the mall to shop some more and enjoyed a few more calorie laden dinners during our unexpected vacation.

Now, we are more than accustomed to these disruptions and take it in our stride. Along with the Montserratians who have adapted with great dignity, either re-building in the North of the island or re-locating to other Caribbean islands and Britain where the people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom in 1998, and citizenship was granted in 2002.

Today most of Montserrat remains remarkably lush and green, apparently a positive side effect of volcanic eruptions, whereby volcanic deposits are known to develop into some of the richest agricultural lands on earth with volcanic ash considered as a time-release capsule, rich in nutrients. With this luscious landscape and the renewed interest in volcanoes, Montserrat’s tourist industry is seeing a revival especially following the opening of the new John A. Osborne International Airport in 2005 and the recent opening of docking facilities in Little Bay, where the new capital is being constructed. Volcano adventures encompass helicopter tours of the volcano, circumnavigations which enable a view from the South from the sea, and visits to the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO).  In addition to monitoring the volcanic activity, the MVO Interpretation Centre provides poster displays explaining the techniques used in monitoring seismic activity, gas emissions, ground deformation and environmental impacts, and dramatic video shows including a synopsis of the activity and examples of the recent events on the volcano, along with touch screen kiosks and volcanic artefacts on display.

It seems as though this Icelandic event may not go away anytime soon so the Europeans may have to seek guidance from the experts on living with an active volcano. Alternatively, see life alongside a volcano first hand and enjoy your choice of beautiful luxury villas set in landscaped gardens with pools and patios with panoramic views of the mountains and the sea. Villa rentals generally include maid service and pool and garden attendants, with the services of a cook or baby-sitter available when required. Life in the shadows of the volcano is not necessarily so bad after all; it is just a matter of how you work in conjunction with Mother Nature.