 |
Exodus from Montserrat, amid sorrow and defiance
August 23, 1997
Web posted at: 10:50 p.m. EDT (0250 GMT)MONTSERRAT (CNN) -- The deadly Soufriere Hills volcano simmered in the distance, as barely a dozen forlorn residents of Montserrat boarded a ferry that would transport them to new lives elsewhere. But hundreds more swore they would remain on their island, despite the very real threat that nature's fury could erupt yet again.
CNN's John Zarrella reports.
Saturday's paltry exodus was the first phase of a voluntary evacuation plan for Montserrat, a British dependency in the Caribbean. More than 500 residents are said to have signed up for the plan, but no more ferries are planned until Monday. Each evacuee -- allowed to carry just two suitcases of belongings -- can remain in nearby Antigua for up to three weeks in hotels, before leaving for Britain.
Among the passengers on Saturday's ferry were Charlotte Ryan, her 12-year-old son and 10-month-old daughter. The boy, Ayden, said he was looking forward to England's winter season. "I want to play in the snow, I want to make snowballs," he said. When asked if he would miss his friends from Montserrat, Ayden said the thought most of them would follow him to Britain.
A debate over money casts a cloud
The British government, which is organizing and financing the evacuation process, says it has done all it can to help the people of Montserrat leave the island. London has offered 2,500 pounds (almost $4,000) for each adult who leaves, as well as funds for those who want to remain.
But Montserrat's political leadership -- including the new, outspoken chief minister, David Brandt -- have accused Britain of mishandling the crisis, and are demanding more compensation for the island's residents. Brandt, who was sworn in on Friday, says Britain needs to determine how much it will cost evacuees to live in other countries, and ensure that families can afford to send their children to school.
The Soufriere Hills volcano became active in July 1995. Since then, it has erupted a number of times, with much of the damage occurring over the past three months. Fire and ash in June razed seven villages and killed some 20 people. Then, earlier this month, hot rock flows wiped out much of the abandoned capital, Plymouth.
More than half the population of 12,000 has left the island over the past two years. Now, hundreds, perhaps thousands more are preparing to leave. But of those who will remain, many insist they will prevail over nature.
In the volcano's shadow, survival and hope
Among them is Errol Eids, whose family established roots in Montserrat a century ago. They were a success story, owning hardware and grocery stores. Two years ago, Errol opened a nightclub in Plymouth. Then the volcano buried the town and everything the Eids family had.
Since then he has worked as a boat captain to support his family. Eids operates a dive boat along with his friend Wolf Krebs, who moved to Montserrat six years ago from New York. Krebs began a small dive school that turned a tidy profit before the volcano drove tourists away. Now the money comes in only from a few charter trips.
Still, neither man is willing to leave. "I'm going to stay," Eids said. "Even if they lock me up, I'm going to stay."
Krebs and his family live on the northern part of Montserrat, which remains a green canvas of wild fruit trees and tropical foliage woven into valleys of rugged mountains. While Wolf operates the dive boat, his wife Inge takes care of the family boat, and looks after financial affairs for friends who have already left. Abandoning the island is not an option for her. "This is our life here," she said. "This is all we own; you can't just throw that away."
So they remain in the volcano's shadow, voicing confidence in tomorrow. "Sometimes you just have a disaster, you never know, but life goes on," Wolf Krebs said. "You have a journey and you never know what the future brings."
CNN's John Zarrella and the The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Residents begin exodus from volcano ravaged paradise - August 22, 1997
|
Sound off on our message boards
You said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.