Montserrat Today
For Wednesday November 26, 1997
Presented by the Information and Education Unit
of Montserrat's Emergency Department
THE VOLCANIC EXPLANATION:
Over the last 24 hours, the seismic activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano was at a slightly lower level than that of yesterday.
In the reporting period there were about two dozen small hybrid earthquakes, about the same number of long period events and over 60 rockfall signals. Overnight several periods of elevated tremor occurred.
Visibility of the dome was poor again because of low cloud cover but it is thought that the dome is still growing.
Ash levels in the central and northern zones are at a low level at the moment.
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT PRESS RELEASE:
In addition to the pass system for entry into the Salem / Friths / Old Towne area an additional system is being put in place for the retrieval of goods and belongings in some unsafe areas.
The areas of Richmond Hill, Foxes Bay, Delvins, Corkhill, Weekes, St Georges Hill, Woodsville, Belham, Isles Bay Hill, Happy Hill, Old Towne, South Olveston, Lime Kiln Bay, Salem, Hope, Friths, and Glebe are part of this new system.
The Government of Montserrat will provide the trucks and manpower for this new scheme and anyone wishing to take out goods or belongings from these areas are invited to apply to take part.
The procedure is to fill in a form which is available from the Governor's office in Olveston, the Police Headquarters in St. Peters and from the Emergency Dept in St. Johns. The forms should be filled in as accurately as possible and returned as soon as possible to any of these three locations.
The forms will be processed and applicants notified in due course. It is important that the forms should have a telephone contact as the system is dependent on windows of opportunity which might be short lived. (END)
CABLE & WIRELESS DISCONNECT OVERSEAS CALLS FROM PAY PHONES:
Cable & Wireless have announced that for the immediate future customers will not be able to access overseas calls from pay phones in Montserrat. The action has been taken to prevent unlawful abuse of the system which has seen some customers making free calls to overseas.
Cable & Wireless are about to institute a new system of pay phones and phones that take phone cards to the island as part of their updating of equipment in the telephone system.
SOME WATER RATIONING IN THE NORTH:
The Montserrat Water Authority (MWA) is currently carrying out some water rationing in the north of the island. The MWA is currently increasing pipe and storage tank size for the increased demand in the north.
The MWA is filling their 100,000 gallon tank in the north and is fitting a 6 inch water main in the Judy Piece area. Building contractors in the north and the Look-out site are having water supplies trucked in by the MWA.
CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL ORGANISERS LOOK AT SITES:
The committee set up by the Montserrat Tourist Board to organise Christmas festival activities are tomorrow afternoon touring sites for the venue of the festival. Sites in the northern zone are being looked at including Geralds and at Look-out.
The committee is hoping to have a week of activities during Christmas week and already calypsonians are in practice and the Emerald Community Singers now in their 26th year are also in practice for a year end performance.
SOME REPAIRS AT ZJB:
The transmitter damaged by a lightning strike last month is now being repaired at the studios of Radio Montserrat (ZJB) and it is hoped that they will soon be able to resume broadcasting on 93.3 FM as well as 95.5 FM to the central zone. The spare parts for the transmitter recently arrived on island.
Listeners in the central zone have difficulty in picking up the 95.5 transmission and are currently relying on Channel 5 of Cable TV which re-broadcasts ZJB's signal. Radio Montserrat is currently located at a site at Nixon's in the north of the island.
More information tomorrow....................................