Plymouth is a
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
and the ''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legall ...
'' capital of the island of
Montserrat
Montserrat ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is part of the Leeward Islands, the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of the West Indies. Montserrat is about long and wide, with roughly of coastline. It is n ...
, an
overseas territory of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
located in the
Leeward Island chain of the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc be ...
,
West Indies
The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greate ...
.
Constructed on historical lava deposits near the then long-inactive
Soufrière Hills volcano, the town was evacuated in 1995 when the volcano resumed erupting. Plymouth was eventually abandoned permanently in 1997 after it was substantially buried by a series of
pyroclastic flows and
lahar
A lahar (, from jv, ꦮ꧀ꦭꦲꦂ) is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow composed of a slurry of pyroclastic material, rocky debris and water. The material flows down from a volcano, typically along a river valley.
Lahars are extr ...
s. For centuries, it had been the only port of entry to the island. Plymouth is still the ''de jure'' capital of Montserrat, making it the only ghost town that is the capital of a political territory. A new capital is under construction at
Little Bay, with nearby
Brades
Brades (also Brades Estate) is a town and the ''de facto'' capital of Montserrat since 1998 with an approximate population of 1,000.
History
The still ''de jure'' capital of Montserrat at Plymouth in the south of the island was abandoned in 199 ...
serving as the ''de facto'' capital for the time being.
History
St. Anthony's Church
After the establishment of the first European colony on the island of Montserrat in 1632, St. Anthony's Church was established in Plymouth in 1636. Although there is a St. Anthony in Catholicism, it is believed that Governor Anthony Brisket, who went to England to secure funds to build the church, had the church named after himself. The church had to be rebuilt several times throughout its history due to damage from earthquakes and hurricanes. As of September 2021, the church is buried deep in the ash.
Hurricane Hugo
Montserrat was struck by
Hurricane Hugo
Hurricane Hugo was a powerful Cape Verde tropical cyclone that inflicted widespread damage across the northeastern Caribbean and the Southeastern United States in September 1989. Across its track, Hugo affected approximately 2 million peopl ...
on September 17, 1989. The hurricane destroyed a 180-foot stone jetty in Plymouth's harbour. Many other buildings, including schools, health centres, and the recently constructed central hospital building, were rendered unusable by damage from the storm. Given that the hospital was the only one on the island, and damages were extensive enough that all patients had to be relocated, a survey conducted by engineers from the National Emergency Management Agency of
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
concluded that the hospital should undergo substantial redesign in order to ensure its structural strength could withstand future storms.
Volcanic eruptions and abandonment
Beginning in July 1995, a series of huge eruptions at the
Soufrière Hills volcano, which had been inactive for centuries, sent
pyroclastic flows and ash falls across a wide area of southern Montserrat including the capital, Plymouth. It was immediately clear that the town was in grave danger. On 21 August 1995,
tephra
Tephra is fragmental material produced by a volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism.
Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, they r ...
fell on Plymouth, and in December residents were evacuated as a precaution.
Residents were allowed back a few months later, but on 25 June 1997 a further massive eruption produced
pyroclastic surge
A pyroclastic surge is a fluidised mass of turbulent gas and rock fragments that is ejected during some volcanic eruptions. It is similar to a pyroclastic flow but it has a lower density or contains a much higher ratio of gas to rock, which makes ...
s that killed 19 people and reached nearly to the island's airport on the eastern side of the island. Plymouth was again evacuated.
Between 4–8 August 1997, a further series of large eruptions destroyed approximately 80% of the town, burying it under of ash. This hot material burned many of the buildings, making habitation nearly impossible for many of the residents.
The pyroclastic flows, lava, ash and other volcanic rock types were mostly compact, having a density similar to that of concrete. The removal of the overburden would have required the use of explosives, bulldozers and other resources too expensive for widespread use. It was anticipated that the soil underneath the hardened mud and lava would have been scorched and left completely non-
arable by the intense heat of the pyroclastic flows.
The government ordered the evacuation of Plymouth, with the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...
assisting by taking the population to safety. The entire southern half of the island was declared an
exclusion zone because of the continuing volcanic activity at the Soufrière Hills. Government of the island was moved north to the town of
Brades
Brades (also Brades Estate) is a town and the ''de facto'' capital of Montserrat since 1998 with an approximate population of 1,000.
History
The still ''de jure'' capital of Montserrat at Plymouth in the south of the island was abandoned in 199 ...
, although Plymouth remains the ''
de jure
In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legall ...
'' capital. , a new port and capital are under construction at
Little Bay, on the island's northwest coast. Day time access to Plymouth has been permitted for some activities since about 2015, including sand and gravel extraction for construction projects.
The total destruction of Plymouth caused severe economic problems for the island of Montserrat. Plymouth had been by far the largest settlement on the island, with a population of around 4,000 inhabitants, and as such had been the site of almost all the island's shops and services, in addition to having been its seat of government. Some of the lost facilities were subsequently rebuilt elsewhere on Montserrat, but this did not prevent emigration. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's total population was forced to flee, many of whom settled in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, leaving fewer than 1,200 people resident on the island as of 1997. The population figure had risen to nearly 5,000 by 2016.
Geography
Plymouth is situated on the lower southwest slope of the
Soufrière Hills Volcano. It is well within the volcanic exclusion zone, which is considered wholly uninhabitable.
Climate
Transport
The airport serving Plymouth,
W. H. Bramble Airport, was shut down completely by 1997 and subsequently destroyed as it was buried in volcanic ash. A new airport,
John A. Osborne Airport, opened near
Brades
Brades (also Brades Estate) is a town and the ''de facto'' capital of Montserrat since 1998 with an approximate population of 1,000.
History
The still ''de jure'' capital of Montserrat at Plymouth in the south of the island was abandoned in 199 ...
.
Education
In the pre-1997 period it was served by Plymouth Primary School, and Plymouth Junior Secondary School.
[Report of the Technical-Vocational Education and Training Reconnaissance Mission]
" UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
. Annex 1 p. 2 (PDF p. 12/14). Retrieved on 27 November 2017.
Notable people
*
Margaret Dyer-Howe, politician
Gallery
File:20170806-MONTSERRAT WILDCAT RECCE.jpg, A church after the eruption.
File:Soufrière Hills volcanic aftermath (Aerial views, Montserrat, 2007) 03.jpg, A residential area after the eruption.
File:2012-03-04 - Plymouth - panoramio.jpg, Partially submerged buildings
File:2012-03-04 - Plymouth after a Volcanic Eruption - panoramio.jpg, An aerial photo showing common roof damage
File:Soufrière Hills volcanic aftermath (Aerial views, Montserrat, 2007) 02.jpg, Partially buried buildings near the shore.
File:Soufrière Hills volcanic aftermath (Aerial views, Montserrat, 2007) 04.jpg, A house on the edge of a newly formed cliff.
See also
*
List of settlements abandoned after the 1997 Soufrière Hills eruption
References
External links
Video of Plymouth from a MVO helicopter on 24 August 2012on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
{{Authority control
Populated places disestablished in 1997
History of Montserrat
Former populated places in Montserrat
Ghost towns in North America
Destroyed cities
Capitals in the Caribbean
1997 disestablishments in Montserrat
Natural disaster ghost towns
Natural disasters in Montserrat