Volcanic eruption - Montserrat

Question 1

What are the ‘Soufriere Hills’?

Answer 1

This is the name of the volcano on Montserrat

Question 2

Where is Montserrat?

Answer 2

It is a small island in the Caribbean, but is a British colony..

Question 3

What do most people on Montserrat do for a living?

Answer 3

Subsistence farming - they are quite poor.

Question 4

Population before eruption?

Answer 4

12,000 - 50% of whom lived in the capital, Plymouth

Question 5

What happened in July 1995?

Answer 5

The volcano erupted for the first time in 350 years.

Question 6

By August 1995, what % of the population had been evacuated to the north of the island?

Answer 6

50%. By April 1996, Plymouth was deserted.

Question 7

True or false: eruptions continued until 1997 and got more violent?

Answer 7

True. Lava and ash damaged buildings and infrastructure.

Question 8

In June 1997, another eruption destroyed villages in the central areas of the island. How many people were killed?

Answer 8

19

Question 9

The island is 103 square kilometres in size. How many of these were considered safe and in what area were they?

Answer 9

39; in the north of the island

Question 10

Over 5000 people left the island. What did those who stayed have to endure?

Answer 10

There were few roads, settlements or facilities in the north, where they had been evacuated to. Many were forced to live in makeshift shelters with poor sanitation. There were no schools, nor a proper hospital.

Question 11

Why did tourists stop coming to Montserrat?

Answer 11

The airport was shut. Access to the temporary port was restricted. The volcano was dangerous!!

Question 12

Did the country rely on aid?

Answer 12

Yes - from the British government, totalling over £200 million to redevelop the north of the island (deemed safe) and an additional £10.5 million to relocate refugees.
However, there were riots because the local people felt the British government didn’t do enough to help.

Question 13

Why were the British government unwilling to spend more money?

Answer 13

The volcano could erupt again at any time, wiping out any rebuilding work in Plymouth.

Question 14

What has been built at Little Bay?

Answer 14

A new town to replace Plymouth, with new government buildings, shops and homes as well as new tourist infrastructure.

Question 15

When was the new airport opened, after the original was destroyed by the eruptions?

Answer 15

2005, however it is limited to 20 seater planes, which fly in from Antigua.

Question 16

Why does Montserrat now struggle with an aging population?

Answer 16

Most of the people who emigrated were younger. Old people were more inclined to stay or return. Where there was one OAP home, now there are four!!

Question 17

What were the main effects of the eruption?

Answer 17

Half of Montserrat uninhabitable.
Buildings, including the airport, destroyed.
19 people died; thousands evacuated.
Capital, Plymouth, was destroyed, along with farms.
Tourists stopped visiting the area.
Economy in ruins.
Long term health effects - volcanic ash causes a lung disease caused silicosis.

Question 18

What were the short term responses?

Answer 18

August 1995 - evacuation to north of island.
April 1996 - Plymouth evacuated and an exclusion zone set up, which saved many lives.
November 1997 - so many people had left Montserrat, the population fell from 12000 to 3500!
Emergency food for farm animals given by charities.

Question 19

What were the long term effects?

Answer 19

By 2010. population had risen to 5000 as people slowly returned.
Aging population problem because younger people didn’t want to come back.