Which volcano destroyed the city of Saint-Pierre in Martinique in 1902?

Mount Pelée destroyed Saint-Pierre in Martinique during its catastrophic eruption in 1902.

On 8 May 1902, a hot, fast-moving cloud of ash and volcanic gases—now described as a pyroclastic flow—swept down the volcano’s southwestern flank and devastated Saint-Pierre. Tens of thousands of people died in the disaster, which is commonly estimated at about 28,000 fatalities in the city and surrounding area.

The eruption helped establish the scientific importance of pyroclastic flows, sometimes called nuées ardentes. These currents can travel rapidly and remain far too hot for people to outrun or shelter from outdoors. The event also showed how warning signs can be misunderstood when officials fear causing panic or economic disruption.

Mount Pelée is a stratovolcano in the northern part of Martinique, a French overseas department in the Lesser Antilles. Saint-Pierre was once known as the “Paris of the Caribbean.” The city was later rebuilt, but the 1902 eruption remains one of the deadliest volcanic disasters of the twentieth century.