Montserrat Volcano

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  http://montserratvolcano.com/Montserrat_Activities.html    http://montserratvolcano.com/Montserrat-Volcano-Culture.html

Update

October 28th thru November 5th, 2010

Activity for the Montserrat Volcano has been pretty low this week.
There have been 16 rockfall signals, one long-period and one volcano tectonic earthquake recorded during this week.
Cloudy weather has prevented good views of the lava dome. The largest pyroclastic flow this week occurred during the early hours of  November 5th. This traveled around 1.5 km down the Gages valley to the west of Montserrat Volcano. Further pyroclastic flows are likely from several steep areas of the lava dome.

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

   Montserrat is a British overseas territory and part of the British West Indies.  The island rises in a series of mountainous slopes to a high point of over 3,000 feet at the Soufriere Volcano ( Montserrat Volcano)  in the exclusion zone.  Montserrat is a highly active volcanic island.  Montserrat Volcano is highly dangerous.The Government of Montserrat has issued several recent proclamations and warnings urging residents and visitors to be vigilant and to be prepared to move at short notice. Montserrat Volcano can erupt at any time. Montserrat Volcano last erupted in January 2009, requiring the large-scale evacuation of residents.  Since the last eruption evacuation, residents have returned to their homes.  On October 4, 2009, a series of Montserrat Volcano eruptions began, but no one has been required to evacuate as of yet.  Read the Department of State Background Notes on the United Kingdom for additional informationon the Montserrat Volcano.












SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES


  Since 1995, ongoing volcanic activity on the south of Montserat has led to the evacuation and relocation of residents of the so called Montserrat Volcano ‘exclusion zone'.  The most recent evacuation of Montserrat Volcano took place in January 2009.  Additional evacuations may occur when volcanic activity increases.  Because the Montserrat volcano is still active and dangerous, access to the southern part of the island is restricted.  Persons entering restricted Montserrat Volcano areas without authorization are subject to fine and/or imprisonment.
In early 2007, Montserrat government authorities warned residents and visitors of volcanic activity and an increase in pyroclastic flows in Tyres Ghaut, Gages Valley and behind Gages Mountain.  After placing sections of the lower Belham Valley off limits in January 2007 due to the danger posed by growth of the volcano’s dome, the government of Montserrat lifted those restrictions in September.  Access to all areas on the southern flanks of the Belham Valley east of the Belham Bridge and areas south remains prohibited, as is south of Jack Boy Hill to Bramble Airport and beyond.

When in Montserrat, citizens are advised to monitor Radio Montserrat (Radio ZJB) for the latest official Montserrat Volcano guidance. 

In addition to the hazards posed by the Soufriere Hills Volcano as outlined above, Montserrat can be affected by hurricanes.  The hurricane season normally runs from June to the end of November, but there have been hurricanes in December in recent years.  General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); information about the Atlantic hurricane season is available from the National Hurricane Center.

The official Montserrat Volcano Observatory website is helpful for updates on volcanic activity.  Updates on volcano activity can also be found on the website of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline. Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its name on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after Montserrat mountain located in Catalonia. Montserrat is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish descent of its inhabitants.

Its Georgian era capital city of Plymouth was destroyed by the Montserrat Volcano and two-thirds of the island's population were forced to flee abroad by an eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995. The Montserrat Volcano eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth including its docking facilities and the former W.H. Bramble Airport the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on February 11, 2010. An exclusion zone extending from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley has been imposed because of the size of the existing Montserrat Volcano dome and the resulting potential for pyroclastic activity. Montserrat Volcano is not safe. At present (June 2010) visitors are not permitted entry into Plymouth, but an impressive view of the Montserrat Volcano destruction can be had from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay.

The village of Brades currently serves as the temporary centre of government while construction proceeds on a new town at Little Bay in the north of the island, out of reach of further Montserrat Volcano activity.

Montserrat Volcano

ENTRY / EXIT REQUIREMENTS TO MONTSERRAT

The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 requires all air travelers to and from the Caribbean, Bermuda, Panama, Mexico and Canada to have a valid passport to enter or re-enter the United States, including to and from Mexico. Montserrat Volcano  U.S. citizens must now have a valid U.S. passport or a U.S. passport card for all land and sea travel.  We strongly encourage all American citizen travelers to apply for a U.S. passport or passport card well in advance of anticipated travel.  American citizens can visit travel.state.gov or call 1-877-4USA-PPT (1-877-487-2778) for information on how to apply for their passports. 

A passport, if arriving by air, and a passport or passport card, if arriving by sea, is required for entry to Montserrat.  You will also have to provide proof of an onward/return ticket and sufficient funds to cover your expected stay.  A departure tax is required upon leaving Montserrat.  Montserrat Volcano is indeed a site to see.

For further information, travelers may contact the British Embassy, 19 Observatory Circle N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008; telephone (202) 588-7800; or the nearest consulate of the United Kingdom in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Houston, Miami, Orlando, Seattle, or San Francisco.  Visit the British Embassy's web site for the most current visa information. Montserrat Volcano

Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our web site.  For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information sheet.