St. Vincent 'on its knees' after La Soufrire eruption devastates the island
By
Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Apr 18, 2021 8:57 AM EDT
Ayanna Bobb, a teacher and resident of St. Vincent, started her day like any other — unaware that the nearby La Soufrière volcano was rumbling below the surface and would soon erupt.
Bobb initially received a warning to evacuate on Thursday around 5 p.m., local time, and by Friday morning, they heard a large "bang.” She told AccuWeather's Lincoln Riddle, that's when she decided to pack up and go.
"Where I'm living we can practically see the La Soufrière," she said. "So we didn't leave the same night because the older ones who would have experienced the Soufrière eruption in '79 says that it usually gives you enough warning to move."
The volcano eruption on April 9, brought hardship to residents across the Caribbean Island, including to Bobb who had to evacuate her home on the northern part of the island.
She said the island was experiencing intense heat prior to the eruption.
Ash rises into the air as La Soufriere volcano erupts on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Orvil Samuel)
"It was very hot, like everybody complained about the heat," she explained. "You would be inside and you would just, its as if you are feeling the sun on your face."
After the eruption, the entire northern half of the island was evacuated and under a "red" order. Another portion of the island is in a yellow zone, and the bottom corridor of the island is in a green zone, which is where those in the red zone were evacuated to.
According to Sam Bloch, a volunteer working to provide aid through the World Central Kitchen, somewhere between 16-20,000 people on the island were evacuated out of a total population of 110,000.
Because of the mass evacuations, churches, schools and many individual people had to host those who evacuated. The government has set up 85 shelters, leaving the majority of evacuees to seek shelter from their family and friends that live within the green zone. Bobb is staying with 10 other people, nine being other evacuees.
"We're in a sad state," Bobb said. "We don't have any water currently... We've been out of water for the last four days. We recently just got back electricity, so we just got back internet yesterday."
Bobb said the island is struggling with a limited water supply because ash fell into the rivers they used for water, contaminating the supply and making it unusable.
A man rides his bicycle past fields covered with volcanic ash a day after the La Soufriere volcano erupted, in Kingstown, on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, Saturday, April 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Lucanus Ollivierre)
"We have some springs in and around certain parts of the Grenadines, so we were able to access some fresh water, very limited though because everybody's rushing to get the water because we need to, especially with the ash condition," she explained.
Additionally, she said the sheer amount of dust that has swept up onto the streets is now causing issues as well for residents.
"We're not equipped with the masks for this," Bobb said. "We have masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic that went on, but the dust is a whole different level. We need a specific gear."
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The volcano could also have long-term effects on the island's economy, as Bloch said St. Vincent produces most of its own food through agriculture -- which could be largely destroyed now from the eruption.
"Hopefully the agriculture comes back quickly enough and it doesn't become a country that suddenly becomes dependent on importing," Bloch said. "Because it did create a lot of its own food."
Volunteers are working to help those impacted, even though some of the are located thousands of miles away.
Anna Barker, from Saranac Lake, New York, began collecting supplies from her community to donate to St. Vincent residents in need after the La Soufrière volcano began erupting on April 9. (Lincoln Riddle)
All the way from Saranac Lake, New York, located 2,300 miles away, Bobb's cousin Anna Barker has been working to provide aid to St. Vincent, where she is originally from.
"People need help," Barker said. "What can I do outside of my comfort zone to get help to these people?"
Barker asked her local community in Saranac Lake to donate items that are needed on the island to donate to those in need.
"People I don't know are reaching out, helping, donating what little they have," Barker said. "I am very pleased at the response that I've gotten from the community."
Barker plans to rent a U-Haul to transport the donations to an organization based in New York City that will send the donated items to the island.
Barker's cousin, Ayanna Bobb, was one of the residents located in the "red" zone on the island and had to evacuate. Barker is from the island of St.Vincent as well, but now resides in New York state. (Lincoln Riddle)
"Right now we need water, water is critical," Bobb said, adding that people are also in need of clothes, sanitary napkins, baby products and foods that are preferably canned, as she said she imagines the recovery process will be "a lengthy one."
"It's not like we are going to recover in the next two or three months, it will be like a constant building back," she said. "St. Vincent's on its knees now. We're on our knees."
Reporting by Lincoln Riddle
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News / Severe Weather
St. Vincent 'on its knees' after La Soufrire eruption devastates the island
By Lauren Fox, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Apr 18, 2021 8:57 AM EDT
Ayanna Bobb, a teacher and resident of St. Vincent, started her day like any other — unaware that the nearby La Soufrière volcano was rumbling below the surface and would soon erupt.
Bobb initially received a warning to evacuate on Thursday around 5 p.m., local time, and by Friday morning, they heard a large "bang.” She told AccuWeather's Lincoln Riddle, that's when she decided to pack up and go.
"Where I'm living we can practically see the La Soufrière," she said. "So we didn't leave the same night because the older ones who would have experienced the Soufrière eruption in '79 says that it usually gives you enough warning to move."
The volcano eruption on April 9, brought hardship to residents across the Caribbean Island, including to Bobb who had to evacuate her home on the northern part of the island.
She said the island was experiencing intense heat prior to the eruption.
Ash rises into the air as La Soufriere volcano erupts on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, Tuesday, April 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Orvil Samuel)
"It was very hot, like everybody complained about the heat," she explained. "You would be inside and you would just, its as if you are feeling the sun on your face."
After the eruption, the entire northern half of the island was evacuated and under a "red" order. Another portion of the island is in a yellow zone, and the bottom corridor of the island is in a green zone, which is where those in the red zone were evacuated to.
According to Sam Bloch, a volunteer working to provide aid through the World Central Kitchen, somewhere between 16-20,000 people on the island were evacuated out of a total population of 110,000.
Because of the mass evacuations, churches, schools and many individual people had to host those who evacuated. The government has set up 85 shelters, leaving the majority of evacuees to seek shelter from their family and friends that live within the green zone. Bobb is staying with 10 other people, nine being other evacuees.
"We're in a sad state," Bobb said. "We don't have any water currently... We've been out of water for the last four days. We recently just got back electricity, so we just got back internet yesterday."
Bobb said the island is struggling with a limited water supply because ash fell into the rivers they used for water, contaminating the supply and making it unusable.
A man rides his bicycle past fields covered with volcanic ash a day after the La Soufriere volcano erupted, in Kingstown, on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent, Saturday, April 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Lucanus Ollivierre)
"We have some springs in and around certain parts of the Grenadines, so we were able to access some fresh water, very limited though because everybody's rushing to get the water because we need to, especially with the ash condition," she explained.
Additionally, she said the sheer amount of dust that has swept up onto the streets is now causing issues as well for residents.
"We're not equipped with the masks for this," Bobb said. "We have masks because of the COVID-19 pandemic that went on, but the dust is a whole different level. We need a specific gear."
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The volcano could also have long-term effects on the island's economy, as Bloch said St. Vincent produces most of its own food through agriculture -- which could be largely destroyed now from the eruption.
"Hopefully the agriculture comes back quickly enough and it doesn't become a country that suddenly becomes dependent on importing," Bloch said. "Because it did create a lot of its own food."
Volunteers are working to help those impacted, even though some of the are located thousands of miles away.
Anna Barker, from Saranac Lake, New York, began collecting supplies from her community to donate to St. Vincent residents in need after the La Soufrière volcano began erupting on April 9. (Lincoln Riddle)
All the way from Saranac Lake, New York, located 2,300 miles away, Bobb's cousin Anna Barker has been working to provide aid to St. Vincent, where she is originally from.
"People need help," Barker said. "What can I do outside of my comfort zone to get help to these people?"
Barker asked her local community in Saranac Lake to donate items that are needed on the island to donate to those in need.
"People I don't know are reaching out, helping, donating what little they have," Barker said. "I am very pleased at the response that I've gotten from the community."
Barker plans to rent a U-Haul to transport the donations to an organization based in New York City that will send the donated items to the island.
Barker's cousin, Ayanna Bobb, was one of the residents located in the "red" zone on the island and had to evacuate. Barker is from the island of St.Vincent as well, but now resides in New York state. (Lincoln Riddle)
"Right now we need water, water is critical," Bobb said, adding that people are also in need of clothes, sanitary napkins, baby products and foods that are preferably canned, as she said she imagines the recovery process will be "a lengthy one."
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"It's not like we are going to recover in the next two or three months, it will be like a constant building back," she said. "St. Vincent's on its knees now. We're on our knees."
Reporting by Lincoln Riddle
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo