More ashfall likely, Barbadians told

Barbadians should be prepared to possibly ride out the effects of the current ashfall from the La Soufriére volcano in St. Vincent for weeks.

This from Director of the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre, Dr. Erouscilla Joseph, as she spoke during a virtual media conference held yesterday.

With the volcano experiencing a series of explosive eruptions since this past Friday, layers of ash have been descending on Barbados since the wee hours of Saturday morning as a constant cloud hangs lazily over the island.

Since the start of the phenomenon, Barbadians have been asking about the length of the event, and Dr. Joseph said that there was no conclusive way to predict the end.

“Unfortunately, the worst case scenario is that this can go on for weeks because of the changes in the dynamics of the system. We just have to keep monitoring the seismicity associated with the volcano and advise based on that. But given the previous eruptions, they have lasted six months to a year, so the worst of it could be days to weeks, but we will update as more monitoring data comes,” she said.

With winds in Barbados coming traditionally from an easterly direction and St. Vincent lying to our West, Dr. Joseph explained that the height of the eruption columns were taking the bulk of the ash into the upper levels of the atmosphere. As the wind direction above 10 kilometres moves to the West and sometimes even loops around, she gave the reason for why the ash made it to Barbados and was able to come from all directions.

The La Soufriére volcano erupted in 1902 and 1979, however, the effects felt in Barbados were not as severe as they are now, and Dr. Joseph hypothesised that the increased intensity was due to those two eruptions creating an easier path to the surface for gas and magma.

“The reason why this is happening now and it is so much is because of the type of eruption that is evolving. This particular eruption, while showing very similar characteristics as the 1979 and 1902 eruptions in terms of ash columns and pyroclastic density currents, what is different about this one is the jetting and the height of the ash columns that are being generated. This was not seen in the previous eruptions. This is why, unfortunately, Barbados is being affected in the way in which it is by the ash. And, of course, the volume of the ash that is being generated by these vertical eruption columns,” she said.

Noting that the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network recommended cleaning in small increments to avoid build-up of ash, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley urged persons to wear masks and long clothing while cleaning and to shovel or sweep the ash into garbage bags for disposal.

“We’re not in a position to deal with knowing when this will end, but we know that we have to start the cleanup. And as a consequence, tomorrow (today) must be seen as the beginning of the national cleanup which may go on for as long as is necessary. I have led the foundation for why we cannot leave it any further or wait for Seismic and others to tell us that it is over before we do anything. It must start as long as visibility allows and as long as safety can be guaranteed as far as possible,” she said.

Adding that as bad as the situation was that it could be much worse, Prime Minister Mottley said that there was no need for panic.

“We don’t need to panic and we certainly don’t need to do things that escape common sense. The one theme throughout this is going to be that we are going to fight this with common sense. It may need a few cents and dollars too, but the first thing we need is common sense.”

(MP)