Volcanic mudslides from Martinique's dormant Mount Pelée led fishermen, farmers, and tourism business owners to convene a meeting in late January on the need for emergency aid from the state.
According to Marcelin Nadeau, the mayor of the town of Prêcheur that took the brunt of the impact, the municipal council had agreed to urge the government to declare the town the site of a natural disaster, at the request of representatives of the town's business community. This would enable the town to access aid funds and other help from the state, he said. Nadeau added that the town would also have to assess the extent of the damage in order to determine the full economic impact the lahars had had on the town.
FranceInfo reported that the mudslides, which were set off by heavy rains in early January, had put a complete halt to fishing in the community. It interviewed a fisherman who explained that the fish were being suffocated by the heavy and viscous mudflows. That report also noted complaints by the townspeople that authorities had failed to provide real assistance.
However, Caribbean News Now reported that there had been little material damage, and the lahars are a recurring event that takes place every 10 years or so.
“The erosion of Mount Pelée is not the sign of an eruption,” the website said.
The eruption of the volcano in 1902, considered to be one of the worst of the 20th century, killed about 30,000 people, leaving only a couple of survivors on the island.
