Established October 1895 Brace for an ashy, dusty weekend PAGE 2 Saturday April 10, 2021 $1 VAT Inclusive Barbados pledges its full support to the HERE people of St. Vincent TO HELP THE government of the situation in St. Vincent, Barbados has pledged its with the increased seismic full support to the people activity connected with the La of St. Vincent and the Soufrière volcano and at 8:41 Grenadines, as that island this morning, the volcano battles a dire disaster suffered an explosive eruption. emergency situation, given So basically,what we have been the eruption of its La fearing for quite a while has Soufrière volcano early come to pass. And I want yesterday. to start by expressing our During a swiftly convened complete sympathy as a press conference, Minister of government, as a people of Home Affairs, Information Barbados, for the government and Public Affairs, Wilfred and people of St. Vincent and Abrahams, noted that as the Grenadines, on what is a residents continue to be catastrophic event in their evacuated, Barbados will do its lives. It is almost beyond part to assist, even as the contemplation that a couple situation remains an evolving weeks ago, they were in relative one. comfort and now people are in “Over the last few weeks, From left to right: Attorney General, Dale Marshall, Commanding Officer of the Barbados Coast we’ve been closely monitoring FULL SUPPORT on Page 2 Guard, Commander Mark Peterson; Barbados Defence Force Chief of Staff, Colonel Glyne Grannum; and Press Secretary to the Prime Minister, Roy Morris, during yesterday’s ceremony. Relief supplies shipped to St. Vincent FORTY sailors and seven tonnes of relief supplies should have landed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines this morning after the Barbados Defence Force was mobilised to lend assistance to our neighbours yesterday. With the La Soufrière volcano having three explosive eruptions yesterday, the HMBS Rudyard Lewis and the HMBS Leonard C. Banfield were loaded up and set sail after nightfall. Prior to the eight- to nine- hour voyage, the sailors and supplies were blessed by military chaplains – Capt. Hugh Sandiford and Capt. Roslyn Harper-Johnson – in a short ceremony at the Barbados Coast Guard headquarters, HMBS Pelican. Attorney General, Dale Marshall, was on-hand to inspect the detachment and SUPPLIES on Page 4 Members of the Barbados Coast Guard loading boxes of supplies onboard the HMBS Rudyard Lewis last night. 2 • Saturday April 10, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Brace for an ashy, dusty weekend BARBADIANS were yesterday put yesterday,there was another significant volcanic plume that is heading towards on high alert that they should be on eruption of the volcano and after that, Barbados. It’s estimated arrival time is the lookout for ashfall over the is- subsequent further eruptions, following roughly around 6:00 p.m. today, but it land of Barbados, as satellite im- the one which took place around could be before. So we are going to see agery showed a huge dense ash 8:41 a.m. ash clouds come over and ash fall across plume heading our way, following “These eruptions expelled huge the island,” Best indicated in an update further eruptions of the La amounts of ash and debris into the at- yesterday evening. Soufrière volcano in St. Vincent. mosphere, not like this morning, much He meanwhile noted that the dura- Sabu Best, Director of Meteorological more significant and as a result, we are tion could be extensive, especially if the Services, indicated that as of 3:00 p.m. actually detecting huge ash plumes, volcano continues to erupt and as such, those with respiratory issues should stay indoors and ensure that they have any necessary medications to hand. Barbadians are also being urged to look out for their pets and livestock and to se- cure them adequately. It was earlier in the day during a press conference that Best noted that a weak plume of ash and dust passed around 11:30 a.m. around the mid-levels of the atmosphere in Barbados, at just around 18,000 to 25,000 feet. That was gone by mid-afternoon, however, as it drifted to- wards the east. “That plume, or ash if you like, was part of the major eruption that occurred this morning. It took about three to three and a half hours to actually traverse from St. Vincent to Barbados. It would have been difficult to actually see it from the ground, because there’s an extensive amount of dust haze that is still in the at- mosphere and on top of that, there’s a canopy of high-level clouds which we call cirrus (clouds). It makes the sky look kind of whitish or milky.The last reports we got, there is actually even more cir- rus that’s coming in from the southwest, so to actually see any kind of smoke or ash traversing aloft is going to be rather difficult or near impossible to see at this point in time. That dust haze is expected to continue through the weekend and the cirrus for the most part,” Sabu said during the mid-day press conference. Hazy conditions persisted across the island yesterday as a significant Sahara dust outbreak continued to affect the is- Whilst giving a brief forecast for the land, and with the La Soufrière volcano also erupting, Director of Meteorological Services, Sabu Best, told Barbadians to weekend at that time, he suggested that brace for an ashy, dusty weekend. INSET: Sabu Best, Director of Meteorological Services. rainfall levels would likely be minimal for the next few days and it could get a little cloudy as well. Rely on official media agencies, channels However, Barbadians now have to stay tuned for any further updates regarding for up-to-date and accurate information the evolving situation, even as they do their best to remain safe, given the FULL SUPPORT from Page 1 there will be some implications present conditions. (RSM) for Barbados, given the disaster in danger of losing their lives, their liveli- St. Vincent and Government will be re- hoods, their houses, all of their property,” sponding as the situation further devel- Minister Abrahams remarked. ops, to the myriad concerns already being He continued,“It has created an emer- expressed by Barbadians. Abrahams, Children may gency disaster situation in the neigh- however, stressed that Barbadians bouring Caribbean territory and we here should rely on the official media agencies attend any in Barbados have pledged our full sup- and channels for up-to-date and accu- port to St. Vincent and their people, in rate information, to avoid the hysteria their time of need.” and panic that results after misinfor- polyclinic today He later added, “I can’t imagine what mation spreads via social media. they are possibly going through right At a later date, Abrahams indicated PARENTS taking advantage of the now and the best we can do as a country that Government will bring the nation up National Outreach for Childhood for our brothers and sisters, is to offer to date regarding any accommodation Vaccinations today, Saturday,April 10, them whatever support that they re- requirements for those evacuated from are advised that they may take their quire, to help them get past this chang- St. Vincent and any other assistance or children to any of the participating poly- ing and in many instances life-threaten- manpower needs that may be requested clinics to be immunised. ing event.” by key officials there.Whilst the Minister However, not all of the polyclinics will Minister Abrahams, in giving the acknowledged that no formal request to be taking part in the outreach. Those latest update at the time of that press house persons had been made as yet, he that will be operating today are the conference, noted that there were about noted that preparations are nonetheless Maurice Byer, Randall Phillips, 2,000 people in St. Vincent, spread over being made, given that the situation is Branford Taitt and St. Philip Polyclinics 20 shelters and about 20,000 people still a fluid one. and the David Thompson Health and in the orange and red zones, who needed The constantly evolving situation later Social Services Complex. to be evacuated. saw personnel departing from Coast Persons are reminded that only child- “So the situation is evolving in Guard headquarters in Barbados yester- hood vaccinations will be administered St. Vincent and this is as serious as it day evening, en route to St. Vincent, to Minister of Home Affairs, during the outreach. No COVID-19 vac- gets,” he stressed. lend much-needed assistance there. Information and Public Affairs, cinations will be given. He meanwhile acknowledged that (RSM) Wilfred Abrahams. The Barbados Advocate Saturday April 10, 2021 • 3 Most out of the red zone in SVG MOST persons in evacuees. “We are advised that imately eight, which have evening into night. And her update, additionally St. Vincent and the Riley gave this update most persons have been been activated but at this over 600 persons were shared that, “The Grenadines (SVG) yesterday as she spoke evacuated from the red time are unoccupied.” moved through the use of Ministry of Health in within the red zone during CDEMA’s Press zone, which is also known Riley also told the marine assets. We are the St. Vincent and the have been evacuated. Conference on the as the very high risk zone media that two commu- also aware that there are Grenadines has also initi- This information was Explosive Eruption of the to the impacts of volcanic nities, which are on the at this time an undis- ated the process of PCR provided by Executive La Soufrière volcano.