Can such a magestic mountain as this...
wake up one morning looking like this?
Apparently so, as that is just what happened to Mount Redoubt Volcano in Alaska in 1990 and what scientists fear is about to happen again. When I read about this breaking story this morning, I wondered how many volcanoes there are in the United States and where they are.
The answer: 169. Click here to see where they are and when they last erupted.
As I did a bit of research, I was more interested to find out that 18 are considered "Very High Threat Volcanoes." Twelve of these have been active or erupted within the last 200 years and 8 since 1984.
As indicated on geology.com, "These volcanoes have devastated large areas with volcanic blasts, invaded their surroundings with lava flows, produced large mudflows that have swept over hundreds of square miles, emitted noxious gases that have caused lung ailments and produced ash clouds that have brought down passenger jets and blanketed thousands of square miles."
The lesson is clear... whether you live in Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington state or any of their neighboring states, it is wise to be prepared with at least a complete 72 hour emergency kit and a good supply of respirators (good quality breathing masks). Click here for more on what to do before and during a volcanic eruption.
Note as well, that the effects of large eruptions can be felt thousands of miles away as the volcanic ash clouds travel. So just because you don't have a volcano next door, doesn't mean that you may not be impacted by a volcanic eruption. Here is a good article on the dangers posed by volcanic ash.
What have you done to prepare for a volcanic eruption? If you have ever lived through one, please share your "secure survivor story" with us by commenting or emailing me at dscott@lifesecure.com.
Every Life Secure
An Emergency Preparedness Blog helping to make "Every Life Secure" in any emergency or disaster... at home, work, school, or on-the-go
