Volcano Island Montserrat
8th June 2011 - 10th June 2011
The story of Montserrat is a very tragic one, at least if you look at the past twenty years. In 1989 the powerful hurricane Hugo destroyed 95% of all the houses here. When the island was finally recovering in 1995, its -until then- dormant volcano decided to wake up. In a series of eruptions, explosions and pyroclastic flows, about two thirds of the island have become uninhabitable and most of the former settlements have been annihilated. The capital city of Plymouth does not exist anymore, except as a modern Pompeii. Montserrat’s population has declined from about 11,000 to 5000; most inhabitants migrating to England.
We were anchored off the north-western coast, which is not in any kind of danger zone. Luckily there are relatively high hills in the middle of the island, which protect the northern part from the worst of the volcano’s wrath. This is where a new capital city is currently being built, but things do not develop fast in a country where every second person has two foot dreadlocks. However, the population that has stayed after the eruptions is incredibly proud of the country and has good faith that restoration will succeed in the end. Ya man!
We visited as close to the volcano as legally possible, and the devastation is impressive. Although we could not enter Plymouth, it is clear to see that what’s left of it is a ghost town. We crossed a valley which had seen a pyroclastic flow years before, and were stunned to see that so much earth, mud and ash have come down the valley that all but the roofs of some houses have been buried.
The story of Montserrat is a very tragic one, at least if you look at the past twenty years. In 1989 the powerful hurricane Hugo destroyed 95% of all the houses here. When the island was finally recovering in 1995, its -until then- dormant volcano decided to wake up. In a series of eruptions, explosions and pyroclastic flows, about two thirds of the island have become uninhabitable and most of the former settlements have been annihilated. The capital city of Plymouth does not exist anymore, except as a modern Pompeii. Montserrat’s population has declined from about 11,000 to 5000; most inhabitants migrating to England.
We were anchored off the north-western coast, which is not in any kind of danger zone. Luckily there are relatively high hills in the middle of the island, which protect the northern part from the worst of the volcano’s wrath. This is where a new capital city is currently being built, but things do not develop fast in a country where every second person has two foot dreadlocks. However, the population that has stayed after the eruptions is incredibly proud of the country and has good faith that restoration will succeed in the end. Ya man!
We visited as close to the volcano as legally possible, and the devastation is impressive. Although we could not enter Plymouth, it is clear to see that what’s left of it is a ghost town. We crossed a valley which had seen a pyroclastic flow years before, and were stunned to see that so much earth, mud and ash have come down the valley that all but the roofs of some houses have been buried.