Montserrat Today
For Thursday November 20, 1997
Presented by the Information and Education Unit
of Montserrat's Emergency Department
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
In the last 24 hours the main seismic signals at the Soufriere Hills Volcano have been associated with ash venting, degassing and rockfalls from the dome. Most of these signals are associated with continued dome growth although poor visibility has not allowed any clear views of the dome in the reporting period.
The level of ash in the atmosphere in St Peter's and St John's as averaged over the last 24 hours is quite low.
The rockfall activity is currently on the south west sector of the dome but this could switch at any time. These rockfalls could lead to pyroclastic flows.
HOUSING CEREMONY TOMORROW:
At a ceremony on Friday afternoon, the residents who are being allocated houses on Davy Hill will have their keys presented to them.
Representatives of the company who built them Brown and Root handed the houses over to the Government of Montserrat last Friday and this week have been putting the final touches to the sewage system for the area.
ROYAL VISIT:
The final touches are being put to the programme for the visit of HRH The Duke of York (Prince Andrew) who is expected in Montserrat from tomorrow evening. HRH will visit shelters, housing schemes, the emergency jetty and the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.
COOKING GAS:
The general public is being urged to return all their empty gas bottles (both 20 lb and 100 lb) that are in the central and northern zones tomorrow to Delta at the NOSCA complex between the hours of 8 am and 1 pm.
The bottles will be sent to Nevis for filling. The last bottles collected in a similar manner will return to the island over the weekend and will be sold to the public on Monday.
All cooking gas for Montserrat comes from Nevis and is a commercial operation carried out by Delta.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION BEING LOOKED AT:
The Royal Montserrat Police Force is currently looking at several areas where traffic is congested. It is reported that parking practices are causing congestion at Cudjoe Head corner, Carr's Bay corner, the corner at the turning to the heliport, and in the centre of St Johns.
Police are expected to report back on methods of improving traffic flow especially during the Christmas season.
More information tomorrow....................................