Month: June 2021


Do You Want to Die by Volcano? Because This Is How You Die by Volcano

Image shows a slope of fresh lava, with two streams of red lava flowing down. A tiny, indistinct person stands between them.

There is no such thing as a safe eruption. I just want to stress this up front. If a volcano is actively erupting, no matter how gently, it could easily kill you. The minimum safe distance is far away. Add another far to that away if you’re dealing with an explosive volcano, just to be sure. And stay out of valleys that are part of its drainage system!

The majority of the fatalities at Mount Loowit (St. Helens) during the May 18th, 1980 eruption took place outside of the Red Zone, in areas that would have been safe if she hadn’t blown out laterally.

Kilauea’s eruptions may seem more like photo ops than death dealers, but it’s actually the deadliest volcano in the United States.

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