The Soufrière Hills Volcano is an active volcano on the island of Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory.
The volcanic eruption period began in the summer of 1995 and continues today. There have been no recent major events since 2010, but the volcano is heavily monitored with scientists from around the word stationed at the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO).
Many times when there is a volcanic event there are precursory indications that this is may occur that may include fluctuations of gas emission levels and specific seismic activity. In the height of the crisis, there have been events that began without as much warning as desired. Science has come along in such a way that has helped to further mitigate any harm as the MVO keeps a constant finger on the pulse. There will always be some danger when visiting Plymouth (Zone V) in our exclusion Zone… as a very un-sugar-coated experience by its very nature, there would be. It appears to be a warzone in many aspects and there is an associated reality that you can’t wish away even without eruptive activity.
Our government officials are taking every measure to make it as safe as possible to visit our buried city, however this does not remove all risk. We do have constant radio communication with staff who are working full time at the MVO, an emergency escape route, the assistance of a regulatory body known as the Disaster Management Coordination Agency (DMCA), and an MTD certified guide that has been trained in the best ways to react to such an event of a related emergency or a volcanic event itself. THIS is what we do and we do it WELL.
Furthermore, every year we have scientists from around the world convene to access the ongoing eruption of the Soufrière Hills Volcano. This team, known as the Scientific Advisory Committee, analyzes the data to give a detailed report of the possible outcomes of our volcanic future. These reports are open to the public and if you are interested you can view the latest report by following the MVO directly.
Found on Facebook: Montserrat Volcano Observatory