BRADES – The National Disaster Preparedness and Advisory Committee (NDPRAC) has taken a decision to reduce the volcanic alert level from level 4 to level 3 paving the way for the immediate reoccupation of Zone B.
Zone B includes Isles Bay, Waterworks, Parts of Old Towne and lower Happy Hill.
The decision was taken at an NDPRAC meeting on Tuesday February 23, 2010 at which the Director of the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) revealed that the partial dome collapse on February 11, 2010 had significantly reduced the hazard and risk to Zone B.
Although the decision to allow reoccupance of Zone B, the authorities stressed that residents need to be vigilant at all times because activity could escalate with very little or no notice. Residents should maintain their properties in a state of readiness for possible evacuations.
Residents, in particular those on Isles Bay, should exercise extreme caution when crossing the Belham River Valley especially when it is raining because of the possibility of hot mudflows from earlier deposits in the valley.
Zone T (Trants) remains closed because of the recent hot deposits in that area.
