Although there are no volcanoes in Barbados, the ash flow from erupting volcanoes can impact Barbados, these impacts can affect the health, tourism, water and environmental sectors. In 1979, the Soufriere Volcano in St Vincent and the Grenadines erupted, the volcanic ash impacted Barbados.

Barbados is not a volcanic island; it is a coral limestone island. However, it is significantly affected by the La Soufrière volcano located on the nearby island of Saint Vincent. The most recent major impact occurred in April 2021, when a series of explosive eruptions sent massive plumes of volcanic ash eastward, blanketing Barbados in a thick layer of grey dust. This event grounded all flights at Grantley Adams International Airport, contaminated water supplies, and forced residents to stay indoors for days to avoid respiratory issues. Historically, the 1902 eruption of the same volcano also caused significant "ash fall" on Barbados, which locals famously referred to as "May Dust." Because Barbados sits directly downwind of Saint Vincent in the path of the prevailing trade winds, it acts as a natural catchment for tephra and ash. Even in 2026, the monitoring of La Soufrière remains a high priority for Barbadian disaster management officials, as any significant seismic activity on Saint Vincent poses an immediate environmental and economic threat to the "Gem of the Caribbean" due to the inevitable westward drift of volcanic debris.