La Soufrière volcanic alert level lowered to Orange, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines has lowered the volcanic alert level for La Soufrière to ORANGE on May 6, 2021. The decision was based on a recommendation from the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre (UWI-SRC). Entry to the restricted access zone by scientists will be permitted after evaluation on a case-by-case basis.
Roderick Stewart, UWI-SRC/MVO Volcano-seismologist and current Scientific Team Lead made the recommendation to the cabinet on Tuesday, May 4, during his update on the current activity at the volcano.
Stewart indicated that the recommendation was being made given that there have been no explosions at the volcano since April 22 and the number of volcanic earthquakes recorded has decreased significantly.
At alert level ORANGE the volcano may resume explosions with less than twenty-four hours of notice, UWI-SRC said.
In addition, lahars continue to pose a dangerous threat to the river valleys surrounding the volcano including Wallibou and Rabacca.
Mudflows observed over the past several days have contained boulders up to 5 m (15 feet) in diameter. Scientists also observed steaming flows.
Access to the RED volcanic hazard zone is limited to government-approved essential work only. Conditions remain hazardous and the potential for injury also remains.
Featured image credit: UWI-SRC
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.