May 7, 1902 Eruption of Soufriere St. Vincent

Reference #12922:

In May 1902, the volcano of St Vincent entered into a violent eruption that sent ash high into the atmosphere, and cascades of pyroclastic density currents and lahars down the volcano flanks, and into the drainages that dissect the northern parts of St Vincent. After reaching a culmination on May 7th, 1902, the volcano had later outbursts in May, September and October 1902, and a final explosion in March 1903.

Assessed losses (in GBP) 78,850.

On May 23rd, the Governor reported that 1295 had perished outright (a number that Anderson and Flett, 1903, suggested was ‘certainly an underestimate’), that 70 more had died in hospital from their injuries, and 200 were missing, giving a total of 1565 presumed killed by the eruption. Numbers of casualties published in the annual Colonial Reports indicate that 1327 deaths were registered as having been due to the eruption of the Soufriere during the financial year 1902–1903 (Colonial Reports, 1903a). This figure did not include numbers of refugees who later died of dysentery, or anthrax (Colonial Reports, 1903a; Blue Book, 1903, §63).

Reference #1412:

1680 deaths. Estimate of fatalities is that given in official documents, though most accounts give 1,565 with others ranging from 1,351 to> 2,000. Of 224 in hospital after May 7, ~80 died; 221 with burns and 3 children with fractured skulls. The record shows that, on May 7, 1902, tsunami-like disturbances of up to 1 meter were reported for the harbors of Grenada, Barbados and Saint Lucia. Although the origin of these waves is not known with certainty, the most likely source could have been pyroclastic flows reaching the sea from the violent eruption of Soufriere volcano on St. Vincent.

Reference #9675:

1680 deaths. Estimate of fatalities is that given in official documents, though most accounts give 1,565 with others ranging from 1,351 to >2,000. Of 224 in hospital after May 7, -80 died; 221 with burns and 3 children with fractured skulls. Hovey reports only 1 killed on leeward side and 1,350 dead on windward side.

Reference #3486:

Explosive eruption through a crater lake. Most deaths resulted from pyroclastic flows during dry phases of the eruption.