Volcano near Grenada upgraded from yellow to orange alert

There has been heightened seismic activities at Kick ‘Em Jenny, an underwater volcano located in the Southern Grenadines about 8 kilometers north of Grenada. Divers have reported degassing occurring off the west coast of Grenada in the Moliniere Sculpture Park area.

On Thursday, the University of the West Indies seismic unit posted an advisory changing the alert level of the volcano from yellow to orange. An orange alert indicates a highly elevated level of seismic activity or other unusual activity and that an eruption could begin with less than twenty-four hours notice.

Advice

There is a 5-kilometer exclusion zone around the summit of the volcano. Those in vulnerable communities have been informed of evacuation routes and transportation is on standby. Local radio stations in Grenada, St. Vincent, Barbados and Trinidad are on alert.

The volcano is most dangerous for ships and boats since the gases released by Kick ‘em Jenny can lower the density of the water, causing them to sink even if it is not erupting.

Up-to-date online information can be obtained from these websites:

The Seismic Research Centre of the University of the West Indies

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA)

NOW Grenada