St. Vincent’s La Soufrière explodes again on 42nd anniversary of last major eruption · Global Voices
Janine Mendes-Franco

The La Soufrière volcano crater in St. Vincent. Photo by Dave Brown on Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
At about 6:30 am (GMT-4) on April 13, La Soufrière, a stratovolcano in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, exploded once again after its most recent series of eruptions began on April 9.
While the volcano's activity has remained consistent over the past four days, both official sources and regular netizens have taken note of this most recent explosion on the island of St. Vincent, since the date marks the 42nd anniversary of La Soufrière's last major eruption in 1979:
42 years to the day that it erupted, La Soufriere commemorates her own anniversary with another explosive episode. It began at 6:30 am and is still being observed. We continue to monitor. #lasoufriere #svg #uwi #redalert #stilldangerous @VincieRichie @soufriere_hills pic.twitter.com/S3NN0imI8Y
— UWISeismic Research (@uwiseismic) April 13, 2021
#LaSoufriere #SVGEruption2021 there she go again ? pic.twitter.com/bBJiGrSMGH
— ♥Oni!✗ (@_ItsMeOni) April 13, 2021
On queue #lasoufriere #svg commemorates it’s eruption 42 years ago – amazing! ⁦@uwiseismic⁩ pic.twitter.com/9kQfrf0GaP
— richard robertson (@VincieRichie) April 13, 2021
One tweet, which showcased the eruption from the vantage point of neighbouring St. Lucia, shows just how close the islands in the Caribbean archipelago are, though the hope is that the ash from this most recent eruption will stay within St. Vincent's designated Red Zone, rather than make landfall in other regional territories:
#SNAPSHOT: This morning’s #LaSoufriere? eruption as seen from Soufriere, St Lucia;
Soufriere, St Lucia is about 35 miles away from La Soufrière Volcano in St Vincent (photo: source unknown) pic.twitter.com/F7rdXx49G6
— Kevz Politics (@KevzPolitics) April 13, 2021
Other countries, including Barbados and Grenada, have been dealing with the fallout from the volcano's ash, which brought with it adverse effects to health:
A?for people affected by volcanic #ash in #StVincent, #Barbados, #Genadines, #StLucia. Hi, I'm Director of the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (#IVHHN). @uwiseismic, @PAHOemergencies & other agencies are recommending IVHHN information on health hazards of ash & gas. pic.twitter.com/FxfX1zH99f
— Prof Claire Horwell ? (@claire_horwell) April 11, 2021
Reports out of Antigua and Barbuda, however, warn that the country's air quality could “drastically diminish” should the volcanic ash from La Soufrière reach its shores. The presence of sulphur dioxide, the colourless but highly pungent gas that volcanos release when magma is close to the surface, is also expected.
On Facebook, the University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre made the point that when it comes to collecting data on ashfall in order to understand this eruption, “it's all about measurements and scale.” The page also shared a photo of coconut trees drooping under the weight of the ash, noting that “the impact on vegetation is devastating in the short term but beneficial in the long term,” since the ash is mineral-rich.
As St. Vincent's landscape continues to look more and more desolate, concerns abound for the well-being of residents who have refused to leave their homes in the “Red Zone,” as well as for that of birds and other wildlife:
A steaming Rabacca Dry River
?: SVGTV #LaSoufriere pic.twitter.com/YlH8t6pEut
— D. Jimesha Prince (@DJimeshaPrince) April 12, 2021
Despite the challenges, however, La Soufrière's eruption has united the region and brought out the best in communities. One resident of Kingstown, Michelle Gormandy-Haddaway, explained that Vincentians “will help out others with what little they have”—a sentiment that was confirmed by this tweet from volcanologist Professor Richard Robertson:
In the midst of #lasoufriere #volcano commemorative explosions fresh fruit arrived from our friendly neighbors…man this country is amazing ?! ⁦@uwiseismic⁩ pic.twitter.com/01dgS8uuLv
— richard robertson (@VincieRichie) April 13, 2021
Or, put another way by Vincentian Twitter user Heidi Badenock:
Another day, another explosive eruption. We press on. #LaSoufriere Day 5. pic.twitter.com/xk3Aq7PHga
— Heidi Badenock ?? (@heidibadenock) April 13, 2021