A Volcano is Threatening My Parents

Ok...not really 'threatening' but it's definitely closer to erupting than Mt Rainier is. That and it's only ~15 km from my parents newly built retirement compound.

The photo is courtesy of National Geographic's website and article. (My dad hasn't sent me any, otherwise I'd surely use his.)

Here is a little excerpt from a recent email he sent out on 8/7/06 (or 7.8.06 for those in Europe):

"You may have heard that Mayon is threatening to erupt. Actually, it’s been erupting lava for a couple of weeks now … close to 20 million m3 of the stuff … but it’s looking now as if it will move into typical explosive activity within a few days. PHIVOLCS raised the alert level to 4 this AM after 6 small ash eruptions within 45 minutes. That triggers automatic evacuations of 40,000 folks. As often happens, the volcano quieted down as soon as the alert level was issued, but I expect it’ll be back strong sometime in the next few days. We’re well out of harm’s way – indeed, Barangay Salvacion is so named because in 1897 folks from Sto Domingo town and especially a couple of its southern barangays fled over here. Peace Corps Manila has been calling me twice a day to make sure their volunteers will be safe. They are, but to reassure all we’ve invited those closest to the volcano to come stay with us if needed. They are a nice couple from Boston. Glen and I popped over to the PHIVOLCS observatory today for talks with the staff – trading ideas about what’s going on and where it’ll go next.

Mainly for the evacuees’ sake, and for PHIVOLCS’ sake, I’m hoping that Mayon will just do its thing and be finished soon. It might, but who knows? "