Mount Mayon in the Philippines is erupting, listed here are proactive steps we can take prior to a Volcano eruption.

 When I was in the Navy I was stationed in the Philippines for a while, it is a beautiful country, and the people are very industrial, but being in the "ring of fire" presents its own challenges. The island country is located near where two tectonic plates meet, grinding against each other causing the conditions that make it highly susceptible to earthquakes, and volcanos. The heavy rains and saturated earth add mudflows to the already hazardous conditions. This week all of those forces join once again to place the nation in jeopardy, an all too familiar scene for the Phillipinos.

Mount Mayon is a beautiful sight, but oh so dangerous.

  Mayon, the most destructive volcano in the Philippines has blown its top. The deadly volcano, one of about 22 actives on the island nation, it began spewing ash two weeks ago. Wednesday (January 24, 2018) the volcano belched molten lava and thick clouds of ash a minimum of four times, displacing more than 75,000 people. The ash and lava fountains have been ejected as far as 2 miles from the crater, it's a spectacular sight but terribly dangerous. The Pyroclastic Flow which is superheated volcanic ash, rocks, and gas have been slung a distance of 3 miles from the top of the mountain crater. The flow is red hot, capable of burning and incinerating everything in its path. The number of evacuees keeps growing, it is impossible to predict the how long the eruption will last, it may be months. Evacuees are being housed in at least 70 shelters, scores of schools are being used as relief centers.

Mayon erupting lava, yesterday.

 Many of the people are farmers, having left their homes in designated "danger" zones they naturally are concerned for their livestock which supplies their only source of income. The farmers try to go back to their farms to check on the animals, it's very difficult to control their return. Some officials are recommending utilities in the danger zones be shut down to discourage the people from returning to their towns, homes, and farms. In a span of 500 years, Mayon has erupted 50 times, during an ash eruption in 2013, 5 years ago, five climbers were killed near the summit after ignoring warnings not to hike near the crater. The deadliest eruption occurred in 1814, more than 1200 people were buried under volcanic mud in the town of Cagsawa, to this day the stone churches belfry can still be seen sticking out of the ground, a testament to Mayon's awesome destructive power.

Built in the 1700's, the church was buried with ash, the belfry
remains jutting out from the ground, since 1814.

Mayon is having what is referred to as an "explosive eruption", the last one occurred in 2001 and shot ash 6 miles into the sky, that is inconceivable to me. Mayon is the same type of Volcano as Mount Vesuvius, the one that buried Pompeii preserving the 2,000 bodies under a thick blanket of ash for hundreds of years. That long ago eruption began the exact same way as this Philippine mountain is now, Mayon may erupt in a similar fashion soon, a powerful and deadly explosion is a very real possibility, it may be happening as you are reading this.
  So many people live in the shadow of volcanos, not just Mayon, there are active Volcanos all around the world. It makes me wonder how in the world people deal with the uncertainty of an eruption at any time, what can a person do to prepare? After all, an active Volcano is much different than any other natural event, capable of lasting from a few days to years, I don't remember a time when Hawaii did not have lava flowing into the ocean. Every year our world experiences an average of 50 eruptions worldwide, what can we do to prepare in advance for an eruption?
  Here I listed a few things we can do to prepare:

  *Have a Disaster Emergency Supply Kit made up either a commercially prepared kit or one of your own making. In it should be things like non-perishable food, a lot of water, an emergency radio, and lighting with extra batteries or solar powered. Goggles, gloves, leather boots or shoes, and breathing protection for all family members. In such an extreme environment I would purchase the best respirator I could afford, a full face "gas mask" with an ammonia filter is one that I would recommend. (Link to a suitable evacuation kit)

  *We need a Family Emergency Plan, written specifically for a volcanic event, everyone may not be together when it occurs, be sure to include contact information, where to meet, as well as a contact telephone number out of the affected area. Include the children in the planning, I am a strong advocate of that because it gives them a feeling of "ownership". When their ideas are included in the planning they will be more willing to go along with the plan and most likely will take a leadership role when it comes to their suggestions. Pets must be planned for, most pets never make it back home after a catastrophic event, they get scared and don't stop running. (Link to a FEMA planning template)

  *Emergency response personnel will be directing the evacuation, they will know the best avenue to take to avoid the ash, red-hot lava, and gasses. They will also have information from volcanologists as to what the prediction is in the direction an explosion may take in the event there is one. It is prudent to follow their instructions, stay away from the zones they have declared as being a danger.

  *Mudflows accompany eruptions, especially in locations such as the Philippines where they experience heavy rainfall, mudflows move faster than you or I ever could run or walk. Do not enter any streams or try to cross them, make sure to look upstream before crossing a bridge. A wall of mud may be approaching if it is you will never make it across. Do not travel in low lying areas, take the high road, stay out of valleys, river courses, and land depressions. Infants and elderly people will need your help.

  *Protect yourself from falling ash if you can not evacuate, stay indoors, close all windows, doors, and ventilation ducting, keep them closed and stay inside until the ash is no longer suspended in the air. If you suffer respiratory ailments do not come in contact with any amount of ash, wait until the authorities declare it is safe to go outside.

  *Turn your emergency radio on and stay informed, during most disasters, blackouts, and water outages are the norm.

  *Wear clothing that completely covers you, long pants, long sleeve shirts, a hat, respirator, goggles, and gloves should all be worn. Remove your contact lenses, wear regular glasses.

  *If you don't have a respirator or dust mask use a dampened cloth and hold it over your face, it will help you breathe.

  *Determine which way the wind is blowing and stay upwind of the ash flow if at all possible do not venture downwind of the event.

  *Do not run your vehicles, ash will clog up air filters in short order, and if it enters the engine it most likely will destroy the motor. Do not drive unless you have to.

  *The only reason to leave your house would be if there was a danger of the roof collapsing in on you or lava is heading towards you.

  *After the eruption, go to a public shelter if you have been directed to evacuate your home, or if you feel it is unsafe to stay there.

  *Watch TV, check the internet, and listen to the radio to stay informed, just because the flow may have stopped it does not mean the event is over, staying up to date on the conditions are extremely important.

  *To find a shelter in your area Text: SHELTER + your zip code to 43362 (4fema) you will be informed of the nearest shelter to you.
  I don't have to stress how Catastrophic a Volcanic eruption can be, we see on the television 50 or so every year. Some older residents advise their grandchildren to get an education so they won't have to spend their lives living in the shadow of a monster that may erupt at any time.
  Thank you for reading and sharing, leave your thoughts in the comments, during these natural events the human suffering is always in the forefront of our concerns, Mayon has not caused any deaths during this eruption so far, let's hope it stays that way.

jacquesandkate  emergencykitsplus.com