I guess most of you know that the La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines may erupt sooner, rather than later. Earthquakes around the area have started to increase scientists say. In fact, they have started to increase in numbers and in scale for the past month- but, the alert level on the island from the National Emergency Organisation is still at orange, the same level it has been since December of last year when it was found that the volcano was going through an “effusive eruption.”
I guess we are Caribbean folks, huh? Laid back and unconcerned about a volcano about to blow up and our island to bits at any minute. Scientists have said about two months ago that the residents of the immediate area and by extension, the entire island, may have less than 48 hours to evacuate if the volcano has an explosive eruption- like the ones you see in the movie. Where the stack blows up and ash comes falling down.
But the alert level is still at orange, however. I guess, if we gon’ die, we go’ die. Lord help our people.
But, on a more serious note- those people may not have anywhere to go? That could be a reason why no one is trying to ensure that the area is evacuated. The island of St Vincent is only 389 sq kilometres. The city of New York- not the state, but the city of New York- is double that. So there may be no escape.
Here we are again, another catastrophe about the bear down on our brothers and sisters and we can do nothing. The Caribbean and the world, is just going to sit there and let the thing blow with the people on it.
I remember when hurricane Maria tore apart Dominica in 2017. Countries offered to take some of the residents of that island in, who lost everything- house, car, pets, money, valuables. Everything!
But that plan did not happen the way we would have imagined- the logistics of such a mass transportation of people from one country to another is not as easy when we factor into it laws and immigration and things of that nature. So, a lot of countries talked a good talk, but could not deliver on helping the people of Dominica the way their leaders talked about doing.
So we are faced with the same situation in 2017. Disaster is telling us it is coming, yet we have no plan and no idea to create a plan. Welcome to the Black man’s Caribbean. Always helpless, always crying victimisation and victiminhood, but never working ahead of the curve let alone to come up short at least. At least try and come up short man. But to sit there and do nothing is just God awful depressing to see.
I guess we just have to let La Soufriere blow with the people on it.