2021 eruption of La Soufrière
| 2021 eruption of La Soufrière | |
|---|---|
Second explosion on 9 April 2021 | |
| Volcano | La Soufrière |
| Start date | 27 December 2020 |
| End date | 22 April 2021 |
| Type | Effusive-to-explosive |
| Location | Saint Vincent, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 13°20′N 61°11′W / 13.333°N 61.183°W |
| VEI | 4 |
| Impact | ~16,000 people evacuated |
La Soufrière, a stratovolcano on the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, began an effusive eruption on 27 December 2020. On 9 April 2021 there was an explosive eruption, and the volcano "continued to erupt explosively" over the following days, with pyroclastic flows. The activity pattern of the eruption was comparable to that of the event that occurred in 1902, which had a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 4. The volcano is known to have erupted 23 times in the last 4,000 years, and had been dormant since 1979.
Evacuation of the inhabitants of the island began when the explosive eruptions started. Many countries, including islands in the region, and organisations provided relief and support. Services such as electricity and water were severely affected. Emitted ash and sulfur dioxide gas affected the population. The COVID-19 pandemic made evacuation more difficult, requiring usual COVID-19 precautions to avoid outbreaks.