A massive volcano erupted on St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the eastern Caribbean Friday, officials said, sending a giant cloud of smoke into the air as thousands hunkered down in shelters or fled on boats.
The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Center confirmed the volcano's first eruption since 1979 at 8:41 a.m. on the nation's main island, a day after authorities warned an explosion could be imminent and urged residents to get out of the danger zone however they could.
"The place is in a frenzy," said Lavern King, who was making her way back to a shelter as black smoke darkened the sky. "People are still getting out of the red zone at this time."
The La Soufrière volcano began showing signs of activity in late December 2020, when scientists observed a lava dome forming, an early indication of an impending eruption. Since then, the island chain has been on alert, with the public advised to stay away from the volcano. An eruption in 1902 killed over 1,600 people, while another in 1979 gave residents a scare but resulted in no deaths.
There were no immediate reports of injuries Friday on the islands, home to about 110,000 people, around 7,000 of which reside in areas located within the evacuation zone, officials said.
Elizabeth Riley, executive director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, said Friday morning that she had received reports that 49 government shelters were occupied with 1,827 evacuees. Another 600 people were moved out by boat.
Evacuations were ongoing, but heavy ash had halted the process because of poor visibility, the National Emergency Management Organization said. Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line were both sending ships to help evacuate people, representatives from both companies said.
NEMO, the national emergency agency for St. Vincent, reported that ash plumes had risen as high as 20,000 feet in the air. Ash had been recorded as far away as the Argyle International Airport Friday morning. La Soufrière is located on the northernmost third of St. Vincent island.
Officials declared a "red alert" on Thursday, warning an an eruption was likely and urging residents to evacuate. NEMO had advised that safe areas of the islands are those from North Union to Kingstown on the Windward side of the island, Barouallie to Kingstown on the Leeward side and the Grenadine Islands.
"Be calm. Do not panic," Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said during a press conference. "Be orderly. Be disciplined. With God's grace, we will get through this very well."
The alert was prompted after scientists recorded six bands of volcanic tremors throughout the day Thursday. UWI-Seismic Research Center scientists based at the Belmont Observatory in St. Vincent have been monitoring the volcano and advising the government, and also observed clouds of steam and ash venting from the observatory during the tremor episode, UWI said in a statement.
"This type of seismic signal is usually associated with movement of magma and fluids close to the surface," UWI said.
The potential natural disaster on St. Vincent has mobilized the wider Caribbean community, as well as private industry. The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency is working with NEMO and has activated its regional response, which comprises of experts to support St. Vincent with the eruption. During the 1979 eruption, volcanic ash was reported in southern Saint Lucia and Barbados, UWI said.
The leaders of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which consists of island nations in the region that share a common currency, have offered to take in evacuees even if they do not have a passport.
"The OECS countries, if you are going to them, you need only an identification card," Gonsalves said. "This is an emergency situation and everybody understands that."
By Friday morning, Royal Caribbean Group's Serenade of the Seas cruise ship was already anchored off the capital of Kingstown, St. Vincent, and its Celebrity Reflection ship was lingering further off shore.
A spokesperson for Carnival Cruise Line said its Carnival Paradise ship is expected to arrive by noon Friday, and its Carnival Legend ship will arrive later Friday afternoon. The ships can take on around 1,500 evacuees each and will transport them to neighboring islands, the spokesperson said.
Though the Royal Caribbean ships don't have all the crew members necessary to accommodate 1,500 onboard each of the two ships, Royal Caribbean will be able to hold several hundred on each ship, Gonsalves said.
Gonsalves, who also activated government-run shelters warned Vincentians that the country —and the Caribbean— remains in the midst of a global COVID-19 pandemic. Residents were reminded to not only walk with their face masks, but told that cruise ships will require everyone to be vaccinated before being allowed onboard.
Vance Gulliksen, a spokesman for Carnival, said while government officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines have offered to do their best to make sure those who come aboard are tested and vaccinated for the coronavirus, the cruise line is not has not made this requirement.
"That is at their initiative," Gulliksen said.
The nation, which is popular with yachters, has recorded 1,774 COVID-19 infections and 10 deaths. As of April 1, the country had administered a total of 10,805 COVID-19 vaccine doses, the World Health Organization said.
Gonsalves has implemented a somewhat controversial COVID-19 testing and vaccination policy, requiring public sector employees to submit proof of inoculation or be tested at least once every two weeks in order to work, measures some decry as a violation of constitutional rights. He said recently the policy would also apply to teachers returning to the classroom.
Though it had been among the eastern Caribbean countries with low COVID-19 numbers, the Pan American Health Organization noted in February that St. Vincent and the Grenadines was reporting an increase in cases. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has urged travelers to avoid visiting the island chain. Because of the current situation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the CDC warns that even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants.
Gonsalves urged residents to take precautions as they prepared to evacuate.
"I do not want you to panic," he said. "That is the worst thing to do."
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(Miami Herald reporter Taylor Dolven contributed to this report.)
