La Soufrière Volcanic Eruption Article
- Alekhya Buragadda
- May 3, 2021
- 3 min read
La Soufrière is the highest point in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Throughout history, it has been an active volcano, however, there has been no eruption since 1979. The eruption in 1979 lasted for two weeks. The longest eruption in La Soufrière was in 1902, which lasted for six months. Researchers reported that the main reason that the volcano erupted after many years was because a new lava dome formed on top as an effusive eruption. Months before the initial eruption, local officials warned people who lived in the red zone. Between February and April, gas and ash began to steam out. Cruise ships were used as transportation to evacuate 16,000 people on April 8. April 9, 8:41 AM was the first eruption. The ash bursted 32,000 feet into the air. Later the same day, two more eruptions happened. The fourth and fifth eruption occurred on April 11 and 12. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, the seismic activity of the volcano began to taper off. This was visually proven during the eruption on April 22nd, where reporters claimed that the seismic activity decreased from the previous eruptions this year.
Although there were no deaths or injuries, the entire country is surrounded by volcanic ash. Volcanic ash has particles of volcanic rock, making the ash very abrasive. Strong winds had pushed the strong ash particles towards Barbados, wreaking the transportation system. Due to this, the international airports in both St. Vincent and Barbados had to close down. Furthermore, there was a partial lockdown to ensure the safety of the citizens because of the ash. The main form of transportation that was a safeguard from the ash were the ships, which were used to evacuate the residents and transport freshwater.
There was a lot of destruction to the agricultural assets, such as crops and livestock. The ash had covered the plants, preventing them from receiving any sunlight. It may seem that the rain might be able to wash off the ash, but that is not the case. The rainwater hardens the volcanic ash, destroying the plant. The livestock i starving because there is no one to ensure that they are fed. Adding on, the ash in the island deeply affects the animals’ respiratory system. Right now, some basic needs to ensure the people’s lives are water and housing. The United Nations launched a 29 million dollar fund to aid St. Vincent. There is also another way we can all contribute to assist the people. Here is a list of charities that you can donate to.
Good360
global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving
partners with socially responsible companies to source highly needed goods and distributes them through a network of diverse nonprofits that support people in need.
Matthew 25: Ministries
international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization helping the poorest of the poor locally, nationally and internationally regardless of race, creed or political persuasion.
provides basic necessities, skill development and disaster relief across the US and worldwide.
M25M has shipped more than 170,000,000 pounds of aid across the US and into more than 60 countries worldwide.
Convoy of Hope
-faith-based, nonprofit organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children's feeding initiatives, community outreaches and disaster response.
Direct Relief
humanitarian organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies.
Nongovernmental, nonsectarian, and not-for-profit, Direct Relief provides assistance to people and communities without regard to politics, religion, ethnic identities or ability to pay.
honors the generosity of its donors by following a firm policy of full transparency in all of its operations.
https://www.directrelief.org/2021/04/st-vincent-volcano-eruption-live-story/
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