LEDC Volcano case study:

Montserrat

Timeline of events 1632 - Montserrat becomes an English colony 1992 – First earthquakes appear 1995 18 July - Chances Peak volcano erupts for the first time in 350 years.

Thousands are forced to evacuate. Many take up temporary residence in "safe areas" in the north; others flee to neighbouring Caribbean islands, New York and Britain

August - Government declares a state of emergency December - Britain assists with rehabilitation programmes and grants millions

of pounds in development aid. 1996 April - Britain announces that Montserratians will be granted residency

and the right to work in the UK for up to two years 1997 25 June - Soufriere Hills volcano erupts with devastating effects. Two-

thirds of the island is left uninhabitable and 19 people are killed. Plymouth, the capital, is abandoned. Montserrat's airport is closed, the island is accessible only by helicopter or boat

1998 - Britain announces that Montserratians can apply for permanent residency 2002 May - British Overseas Territories Act grants British citizenship to

Montserratians.

When & Where Montserrat is a small island located in the Caribbean and is a British colony with

most residents rather poor living in small villages and farming. The island very popular with wealthy British people.

Before the eruption, there was 12,000 people living there and 50% lived in the capital city Plymouth. In 2005, it was estimated that around 4,488 people lived in the area

The eruption happened in July 1995 from the Soufriere hills volcano which erupted for the first time in 350 years. A month later 50% of the population were evacuated to the north away from danger .

Once the eruption had happened, of the islands 100 sq km, only 40 sq km were considered safe

April 1996 continued the eruptions and Plymouth became a ghost town as more were evacuated due to more explosive lava and ash causing great damage to the island.

Nature of the volcanic hazard

The volcano located in the Soufriere hills on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean began to erupt

The volcano’s early activity consisted of ash emissions, steam explosions (steaming reaching heights of more than 2,500m) and numerous earthquakes

The eruption began in 1995 and in 1997 the volcano began to create explosions and the climax occurred on 25th June

The eruption happened due to the area being located on a compression plate margin

This is when one plate slides over the top of the other. The oceanic plate slides under the other plate due to it being denser. The oceanic crust sinks into the mantle and melts.

This builds up energy in the subduction zone and at times is released as an earthquake. Also, magma rises upwards and causes volcanic eruptions and composite volcanoes

Impacts of the event - Environmental

Extensive pyroclastic flows occurred from an eruption estimated at 4-5 million of material

This consisted of a heavy viscosity of volcanic lava, ash and rocks that had a similar density to concrete

Most of the material was dragged down the northern flank of the volcano

The eruptions destroyed 80% of the city and buried it in 1.4 meters of ash

2/3 of the island was covered in ash

The soil beneath had hardened due to the mud and lava which scorched it and was useless as it was non-arable

Impacts of the event – Social

Material dragged down form the volcano ended up destroying homes and killing 19 inhabitants

Only 40 km square of the islands 100km square was considered safe to live on

The airport and docking facilities were destroyed with the south of the island uninhabitable

The capital Plymouth had 4,000 inhabitants and was completely destroyed

Public services were disrupted along with transport routes, telephone and communication, electricity and water all due to the quake

Social problems due to the loss of friends and family and with no communication, people can’t find out if they are okay

Impacts of the event – Social

By July 28th, 1995 migration off Montserrat began

First year 3,000 people left; Next two years, another 4,500 people left

Places the residents fled to: United Kingdom, Antigua, North America, and other Caribbean islands

About two-thirds of the population migrated

By September 1997, only 5,300 people were left on the island

Impacts of the event - Economic

Money has been lost into the economy as fewer tourists visit the area due to them being weary of the eruption and any future eruptions

The airport was destroyed which impacted on tourism so £11 million was used to construct a new one and a new port

Post disaster effects Greatest losses Montserrat endured was the loss of

their medical school and their new hospital

Final evacuation of much of the hospitals equipment was lost. The new location of the hospital lacked supplies and was inadequate in patient care. Also 50% of the nursing staff left the island

Transportation Improvements; A new Emergency Jetty and Port was built and a 300-passenger Ferry that shuttles to Antigua was built. Regular Helicopter service was chartered and a new 600-m runway airport was built

Post disaster effects cont. Infrastructure Improvements; New temporary

power station was built and a new bulk fuel depot. Upgrades to the island road systems were introduced and a new water storage tanks upgraded

Housing Improvements; 250 new houses have been built as government housing stock. Over 200 site and service plots are under construction for private houses

Government Improvements; New police station complete with holding cells and a new prison

Responses - Short term They evacuated 7,000 of the islands 11,000 population to

neighbouring islands or even sent some to resettle in the UK with financial assistance

Some were left on the island and were moved to the north of the island that was safer

Temporary shelters occurred to accommodate those who had lost their homes and they had to re-establish an air and sea link with the island

Responses – Long term New permanent homes were built for those who had lost homes and the

capital was altered

It changed form destroyed Plymouth to Salem. Those who were resettling in the north, farm land was given to them to make up for the jobs they had lost in the south

Exclusion zones were set up which led to no access in the south as the volcano was deemed as too dangerous

The UK government spent more than £100 million in restoring the island and assisting those migrating

In 1997 £2400 was offered to each adult wanting to leave the island due to nothing being there, but people felt the British government weren't offering enough.

Management The area has been under continuous surveillance for decades

To prepare for any future eruptions, the Montserrat volcano observatory centre was set up to monitor activity in the Soufriere hills which would enable the island to prepare before the volcano would erupt again to evacuate and save lives

A risk assessment was done to help islanders understand which areas are most at risk and reduce problems for the father

Maps were produced showing where the safe areas were on