The Volcanic Alert Level in St. Vincent and the Grenadines has been lowered from Yellow to Green, effective March 16, 2022.
The National Emergency Management Organisation, NEMO, says the decision was taken by the Government, on the advice of Scientists from the Seismic Research Centre, University of the West Indies.
A Green alert means that seismic and fumarolic (steam vent) activity at La Soufrière Volcano are at or below the historical level. No other unusual activity has been observed.
Activity at La Soufrière volcano is now considered to be at levels similar to background activity recorded prior to the 2020-2021 eruption. The overall trend of decreasing seismicity continued during the last month.
No change in gas composition has been observed since measurements were taken in late January. This indicates that the plume chemistry has returned to its pre-eruption chemistry. There has been no significant change in deformation signal since May 2021.
The alert level was previously lowered from Orange to Yellow on September 15, 2021 and since then activities have lowered considerably or ceased.
NEMO says the La Soufriere trail remains closed due to the uneven and dangerous terrain. And the public has been reminded of the potential threat for lahars (flood waters mixed with ash, other volcanic materials, mud, debris, and rocks) after rainfall and the threat to persons living and moving across river valleys closer to the volcano. Residents and motorists in areas close to the volcano and persons traversing rivers and streams during periods of heavy rainfall should always remain vigilant.
