Gay Nagle Myers
Hurricanes, earthquakes, a pandemic and volcanic eruptions. How much more can the Caribbean region withstand?
The mighty roar heard on neighboring islands as La Soufriere on St. Vincent blew its top on April 9, spewing a six-mile-high plume of cauliflower-like cloud of smoke, hot gas, lava droplets and ash and plunging the area into total darkness, signaled yet another disaster to befall these beautiful islands.
The 20,000 Vincentians who lived in the northern foothill farming communities in the shadow of the 4,049-foot tall La Soufriere had been told to evacuate the day before by Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Rumblings had been continual since December, and everyone was on edge, given the volcano's history. It had last erupted in 1979 but quieted down after two weeks. The 1902 eruption went on for eight months and killed more than 1,600 people.
In the past week there have been several more eruptions. Scientists from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center said the eruptions could go on for months.
Winds have carried great clouds of ash 111 miles east to Barbados, blanketing areas of that island with six or more inches of grey-colored volcanic dust and rock fragments. Grantley Adams airport closed last week due to haze and low visibility.
But in the midst of this disaster the Caribbean reacted with one voice -- as the region has done many times in the past when confronted with a natural disaster.
The government and people of Dominica immediately offered assistance and support in accommodating evacuees. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said the country would accommodate 300 evacuees for up to five months, with all costs covered, according to reports.
Small islands are no strangers to weather disaster, as Skerrit noted. The devastating effects of Hurricane Maria in 2017 are still evident, as construction continues on hurricane-resistant housing for residents.
Antigua, Grenada, St. Lucia and the British Virgin Islands, among others, have offered to house and care for evacuees.
Jamaica's Tourism Minister Edmond Bartlett called on regional tourism leaders, the Jamaica Observer reported, "to examine the implications for Caribbean tourism given the negative impact this is having on lives, livelihoods and ultimately tourism."
Bartlett said he had been in touch with the United Nations World Tourism Organization and the World Travel and Tourism Council regarding short and long-term assistance.
Several hundred evacuees arrived in St. Lucia on Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas. They were farm workers on a seasonal agricultural program whose flight from St. Vincent to Canada had been canceled. They later flew from St. Lucia.
Staff at Jade Mountain and Anse Chastanet resorts on St. Lucia were packing up towels, blankets and bed linens for evacuees living in shelters in St. Vincent, according to Karolin Troubetzkoy, the resorts' executive director of marketing and operations.
"We've already shipped 10 pallets of water," she said.
The St. Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association is mounting a drive for donations to assist its neighbors on St. Vincent.
Montserrat, no stranger to volcanic eruptions, sent two seismic specialists to St. Vincent to help scientists there analyze additional eruptions.
Antigua's Prime Minister Gaston Browne mobilized the Jolly Beach Hotel to house evacuees.
International organizations also reacted quickly. The U.S. Agency for International Development is providing $100,000 in disaster relief on top of aid for evacuation efforts and humanitarian needs.
Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises sent ships to St. Vincent to evacuate residents displaced by the volcanic eruptions.
St. Vincent has 84 government shelters, and all those going to shelters are being tested for Covid. Those who test positive are taken to isolation shelters.
St. Vincent's National Emergency Management Organization released a list of items needed, and KLC Shippers in Toronto offered free storage and shipment of the relief supplies to St. Vincent.
The government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines plans to set up an official web platform for the relief effort to provide information on the emerging needs and updates when these needs are met.
At a press conference early last week, Gonsalves thanked island governments and regional agencies for their solidarity and support.
"There has been an outpouring of good Samaritans," he said. "The people have worked together in unity and of course the Caribbean family has responded in an amazing way When I speak of it, my eyes well up with tears."
There's a long road ahead for St. Vincent and its people, but it is heartening to see that when disaster impacts one Caribbean country, the other countries come together as a solid unit to support and assist in time of great need.