BEFORE

How to Prepare for a Volcano

Protecting your family

 Talk about volcanoes with your family so that everyone knows what to do in case of a volcanic eruption.
Discussing ahead of time helps reduce fear, particularly for younger children.

  Make sure you have access to NOAA radio broadcasts:

Find an online NOAA radio station

Search for a NOAA radio app in the Apple Store >> or Google Play>>

Purchase a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA radio in the Red Cross Store

  Keep handy a pair of goggles and a dust mask for each member of your household in case of ashfall.

  Ensure that every member of your family carries a Safe and Well wallet card.

  Talk to you insurance agent. Find out what your homeowners’ policy will or will not cover in the event of
a volcanic eruption.

Protecting your pets & animals

 Prepare a pet emergency kit for your companion animals.

Protecting your home

 Make a list of items to bring inside in the event of ashfall.

During

During a Volcanic Eruption

Staying Safe During a Volcanic Eruption

 Listen to a local station on a portable, battery-operated radio or television for updated emergency
information and instructions. Local officials will give the most appropriate advice for your particular situation.
 Follow any evacuation orders issued by authorities, and put your emergency planinto action. Although it
may seem safe to stay at home and wait out an eruption, if you are in a hazard zone, doing so could be very
dangerous.

 If indoors, close all window, doors, and dampers to keep volcanic ash from entering.

 Put all machinery inside a garage or barn to protect it from volcanic ash. If buildings are not available, cover
machinery with large tarps.

 Bring animals and livestock into closed shelters to protect them from breathing volcanic ash.

If You Are Outdoors

 Seek shelter indoors if possible.

 Stay out of designated restricted zones. Effects of a volcanic eruption can be experienced many miles from
a volcano.

 Avoid low-lying areas, areas downwind of the volcano, and river valleys downstream of the volcano. Debris
and ash will be carried by wind and gravity. Stay in areas where you will not be further exposed to volcanic
eruption hazards. Trying to watch an erupting volcano up close is a deadly idea.

  If you are caught in an ashfall

1. Wear a dust mask designed to protect against lung irritation from small particles.

2. Protect your eyes by wearing goggles. Wear eyeglasses, not contact lenses.

3. Keep as much of your skin covered as possible.

After

After a Volcanic Eruption

Staying Safe After a Volcanic Eruption

If you do nothing else:

1. Let friends and family know you’re safe.

- Register yourself as safe on the Safe and Well website

2. If evacuated, return only when authorities say it is safe to do so.

3. Continue listening to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for updated information and
instructions.

4. If people around you are injured, practice CHECK, CALL, CARE. Check the scene to be
sure it’s safe for you to approach, call for help, and if you are trained, provide first aid to
those in need until emergency responders can arrive.
Caring for yourself & loved ones

 Stay indoors and away from volcanic ashfall areas if possible. The fine, glassy particles of volcanic ash can
increase the health risks for children and people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, chronic
bronchitis, or emphysema.

 Whether you are indoors or outdoors:

Wear a dust mask designed to protect against lung irritation from small particles

Protect your eyes by wearing goggles. Wear eyeglasses, not contact lenses.

Keep as much of your skin covered as possible.

 Take time to ensure your emotional recovery by following our tips.

 Keep animals away from ashfall and areas of possible hot spots. Wash animals’ paws and fur or skin to
prevent their ingesting or inhaling ash while grooming themselves.

 Help people who require additional assistance—infants, elderly people, those without transportation, large
families who may need additional help in an emergency situation, people with disabilities, and the people
who care for them.

Returning home safely

 Avoid driving in heavy ashfall. Driving will stir up volcanic ash that can clog engines and stall vehicles.
Abrasion can damage moving parts, including bearings, brakes, and transmissions.

 Follow these tips for inspecting your home’s structure and utilities & systemsafter a volcano.

 Take pictures of home damage, both of the buildings and its contents, for insurance purposes.

Cleaning and repairing your home

Volcanoes
A volcano is a mountain that opens downward to a reservoir of molten rock below the
surface of the earth. Unlike most mountains, which are pushed up from below, volcanoes
are vents through which molten rock escapes to the earth’s surface. When pressure from
gases within the molten rock becomes too great, an eruption occurs. Eruptions can be quiet
or explosive. There may be lava flows, flattened landscapes, poisonous gases, and flying
rock and ash that can sometimes travel hundreds of miles downwind.

Because of their intense heat, lava flows are great fire hazards. Lava flows destroy
everything in their path, but most move slowly enough that people can move out of the way.

Fresh volcanic ash, made of pulverized rock, can be abrasive, acidic, gritty, gassy and
odorous. While not immediately dangerous to most adults, the acidic gas and ash can
cause lung damage to small infants, to older adults and to those suffering from severe
respiratory illnesses. Volcanic ash also can damage machinery, including engines and
electrical equipment. Ash accumulations mixed with water become heavy and can collapse
roofs. Volcanic ash can affect people hundreds of miles away from the cone of a volcano.

Sideways directed volcanic explosions, known as "lateral blasts," can shoot large pieces of
rock at very high speeds for several miles. These explosions can kill by impact, burial or
heat. They have been known to knock down entire forests.

Volcanic eruptions can be accompanied by other natural hazards, including earthquakes,

mudflows and flash floods, rock falls and landslides, acid rain, fire, and (under special
conditions) tsunamis.

Active volcanoes in the U.S. are found mainly in Hawaii, Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.
The danger area around a volcano covers approximately a 20-mile radius however some
danger may exist 100 miles or more from a volcano.

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Before a Volcanic Eruption
The following are things you can do to protect yourself, your family and your property in the
event of a volcanic eruption.

 Build an Emergency Supply Kit, which includes items like non-perishable food,
water, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, extra flashlights and batteries. You
may want to prepare a portable kit and keep it in your car in case you are told to
evacuate. This kit should also include a pair of goggles and disposable breathing
masks for each member of the family.
 Make a Family Emergency Plan. Your family may not be together when disaster
strikes, so it is important to know how you will contact one another, how you will get
back together and what you will do in case of an emergency.

During a Volcanic Eruption

 Follow the evacuation order issued by authorities and evacuate immediately from the
volcano area to avoid flying debris, hot gases, lateral blast and lava flow.
 Be aware of mudflows. The danger from a mudflow increases near stream
channels and with prolonged heavy rains. Mudflows can move faster than you can
walk or run. Look upstream before crossing a bridge and do not cross the bridge if a
mudflow is approaching.
 Avoid river valleys and low-lying areas.
 Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance - infants,
elderly people and people with access and functional needs

Protection From Falling Ash

 If you are unable to evacuate, and in order to protect yourself from falling ash, you
should remain indoors with doors, windows and ventilation closed until the ash
settles.
  If you have a respiratory ailment, avoid contact with any amount of ash. Stay indoors
until local health officials advise it is safe to go outside.
 Listen to a battery-powered radio or television for the latest emergency information.
 Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
 Use goggles and wear eyeglasses instead of contact lenses.
 Use a dust mask or hold a damp cloth over your face to help with breathing.
 Stay away from areas downwind from the volcano to avoid volcanic ash.
 Stay indoors until the ash has settled unless there is a danger of the roof collapsing.
 Close doors, windows, and all ventilation in the house (chimney vents, furnaces, air
conditioners, fans and other vents.
 Clear heavy ash from flat or low-pitched roofs and rain gutters.
 Avoid running car or truck engines. Driving can stir up volcanic ash that can clog
engines, damage moving parts, and stall vehicles.
 Avoid driving in heavy ash fall unless absolutely required. If you have to drive, keep
speed down to 35 MPH or slower.

After a Volcanic Eruption

 Go to a designated public shelter if you have been told to evacuate or you feel it is
unsafe to remain in your home. Text SHELTER + your ZIP code to 43362 (4FEMA)
to find the nearest shelter in your area (example: shelter 12345).
 Local authorities may not immediately be able to provide information on what is
happening and what you should do. However, you should listen to NOAA Weather
Radio, watch TV, listen to the radio or check the Internet often for official news and
instructions as they become available.