I cannot forget the sirens, how can I forget. When there’s an eruption you have the sirens that will sound to say: ‘evacuate, evacuate now’. That in itself is really something, you get goose bumps each time you hear this ‘evacuate, evacuate now’. You know it’s serious […] If you didn’t have a vehicle they would send a bus to collect people.
– Monsterrat Resident, 2019

Renewed activity of Soufrière Hills in late 2009 makes partial evacuations of the Lower Belham Valley, Isles Bay and Old Town necessary. Ash covers the roads once again. Credit: Henry Odbert.
The roads were a nightmare. It was like when snow falls except the snow is ash, it doesn’t melt and you had to wear a mask, or a tissue, or something over your nose, and sunglasses to keep the ash out of your eyes, and have your head tied. It was really messy period that went on for a long time.
– Montserrat Resident, 2019