St Vincent village cut off by volcano’s ash

The coastal village of Owia on the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines has been cut off from other sections of the country by the recent volcanic activity.

This is significantly slowing down cleanup and rebuilding efforts occurring in other hard-hit areas.

Barbados TODAY visited the ‘ghost town’ village after enduring a dangerous hour-long ride up north, along the island’s western coast on a small motor boat.

Whilst on the journey, this newspaper captured footage of the mountain where the La Soufriere Volcano is located and saw many of the channels through which the pyroclastic flows travelled into the ocean.

When the team arrived, there was only a handful of people around, but the damage was quite similar to scenes from other seriously affected portions of the island. Domestic animals and livestock which were left behind were roaming free, seemingly in desperate need of food and water.

While traversing the hilly village, Barbados TODAY encountered a group of people on a truck that was stuck in the ash. Those on the back had to shovel ash out of the way before it was able to move.

Casron Thomas, who has been living in Owia his entire life opted to stay in his home up until Saturday, April 10, two days after evacuation orders were given, to assist his grandfather who is mentally ill.

“Friday night after the lightning flashed and the thunder and the explosion, it felt like you were getting some kind of feedback under your feet, so it was like you’re hearing it above you and you are feeling it under your feet…. but through it all, I had peace because I know the Word of God. I am a pastor also and I know God said he will never destroy the righteous with the wicked,” Thomas told Barbados TODAY.

The pastor, who is also a farmer and block builder revealed that his family is now staying with relatives in another part of the country.

He also revealed that the biggest losses for members of the community have been in farming.

“As farmers, we have nothing to depend upon. If you notice in the area there are a lot of animals. Some survived and some died and the community is a population of people who depend on agriculture and farming,” he explained.

A fisherman, who didn’t want to be identified said it was a very hard time for the community. He said the eruption has changed the motion and colour of the water.

“It’s like you could basically build your house off of ashes right now. The entire mountainside is all flat. The lava trails are very clear like a playing field. All of the dogs are around in the streets without their owners and are slowly dying. We are just trying to get back here, pick up some things that we forgot, so I came here to help some people and the truck can’t even get up the street because there is so much ash on the roads,” the fisherman explained.

Deon Lewis who was around during the 1979 eruption said that on this occasion, she informed her son and husband that she was staying put.

“People started coming down with private vehicles and it was a really serious night, because so many people were coming and going which could cause accidents. So I said ‘I am not going anywhere’ and I stayed here,” she told Barbados TODAY.

“My son has a goat and a cow, so on Thursday [April 8], my husband went to change the cow and my son went to change the goat up in the mountain, so he left and then while I was in the kitchen preparing something, I heard something sounding like a jet going. Then somebody was coming down at the same time ,a mind told me to look up and when I looked up I saw the thing starting to come over and I said ‘my god, Soufriere is going to erupt just like that?’

“Then the pebbles started dropping on the roof and we were there and then it held off… and then at 3 o’clock, I heard thunder crashing and thunder rolling and when I looked up I saw the same thing coming down from the [sky],” she added.
(kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb)