The Eruption of Mount. Pelee
How the Death Tolls of The Eruption of Mount. Pelee Could Have Been Prevented and How to Prepare Yourself Incase of A Volcano
There is no way to prevent a volcano. But there could have been many ways that the death toll could have gone down.
Signs that should have warned people about the volcano
There were a couple of signs that could of indicated that Mount.Pelee was going to erupt.
The first sign that the volcano was going to erupt was that many insects and snakes were coming off of the mountain into peoples homes. Approximately 50 people died from snake and insect bites. Animals have a sense that we don't, most animals can tell when a disaster or storm is going to happen before it does. The snakes and insects were getting away from the volcano because they didn't want to be part of the destruction.
The second sign was that the top of the mountain broke off and hot water came slithering down the mountain. The hot water mixed with mud and dirt created a lahar which is similar to a mud slide. When the mud reached the ocean, it created a 3 meter high tsunami.
How the government messed up
The government could of made an evacuation of St.Pierre. But they didn't. There was a general election happening, so there was no current leader of the city. But it was decided that if the volcano was going to erupt, the evacuation would happen on may 11, after the poll. But, to completely ensure the safety of St.Pierre, there was a group of people sent to study the condition of the volcano. The only scientist out of the group being a high school teacher. The report concluded that the volcano was safe and there is no need to evacuate the city. Infact, people from other towns nearby came to St.Pierre in attempt to escape the volcano, increasing the population at the moment.
How to prepare yourself
So as you can see from the paragraphs above, the people of St.Pierre were not prepared fora volcano eruption. But here are some tips especially if you live near a volcano to prepare yourself for a possible eruption.
- Be aware that the volcano might erupt
- Have a place to go if an eruption happens (your house will not protect you)
-Have a bag pre-packed with things in it like:
Extra food (preferably non-perishable)
Water bottles
Clothing
First Aid kit:
Instant ice pack
Tensor bandage
Band aids
Tweezers
Gauze
Maybe a little bit of money just incase
- If you need to evacuate,if possible, bring your cellphone for anytime you may need it
