Why did many Montserratians leave the island during the volcanic crisis?

Many Montserratians left the island during the volcanic crisis of the 1990s because the eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano caused widespread devastation, rendering large portions of the island uninhabitable.12

The crisis led to the following conditions that prompted mass emigration:

• Destruction of Infrastructure: Volcanic activity destroyed the capital, Plymouth, which served as the main commercial center, as well as the island's port and the W.H. Bramble Airport.32
• Exclusion Zones: A major eruption in June 1997 resulted in 19 deaths and led to the southern two-thirds of the island being designated as an uninhabited exclusion zone.24
• Economic Collapse: The loss of agricultural land, commercial facilities, and tourism infrastructure caused the economy to virtually collapse, leaving many residents without livelihoods.34
• Ongoing Danger: Renewed eruptions, including a significant event in 2003, discouraged those who had left from returning and made resettlement difficult.312

In response to these dangers, more than two-thirds of the population departed for the United Kingdom, Antigua, and other parts of the Caribbean.1