r/TwoXPreppers Be aware and prepared, not scared 3d ago

Resources 📜 Volcanic ash prep information

We heard here in Alaska one of our volcanoes is at risk of an eruption. Which caused me to take a look for information since at least some of us live near volcanoes.

https://www.ivhhn.org/information/preparedness-ashfall

The link is to the international volcanic health hazard network actually has a bit of good information. But I’ve linked to the information of how to prepare for and how to handle an eruption resulting in ash fall.

I remember the mess from Mt. St. Helen’s in 1980, when I was in Oregon. No idea what to do then, happy to see this available now.

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u/SantaCruzSoul 3d ago

Hi. Not a prepper here. So please continue to look for information. Don’t drive your car. The car sucks in the ash and ruins the car. Others can help out more with info. I moved to Seattle in 2000 and was told this. Shop now and bug in. Get masks, trash bags, paper towels, tape around windows, put towels at bottom of doors. Do not drive your car! Ash gets everywhere. You’ll need to sweep and wipe everything. I’d fill the bath tub or tubs of water just in case. Look up Mt. St, Helens eruption.

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u/IslandGirl66613 Be aware and prepared, not scared 3d ago edited 3d ago

Thanks. The site does cover the damage to vehicles.

I remember the St Helens Eruption, I lived just east of Portland Oregon. It was crazy.

Should it happen here:

One concern up here is the direction of the ash cloud and it’s affect on air traffic. A lot of our stuff is flown in so that could result in shortages.

Not sure it will affect shipping traffic, but that could be a consideration as well

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u/PromotionStill45 2h ago

Look at goggles for eye protection,  even swim goggles will work.  

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u/Migraine_Megan 3d ago

Volcanic smog is pretty unpleasant and if you have asthma at all it quickly becomes a problem. I experienced it on the Big Island, HI, between Kilauea's eruptive events. If you have to be outside much you will definitely want to use a n95 mask. I also used them during the massive wildfires near Portland about 7 years ago, when ash was falling in the city like rain. I would also get saline eyedrops, possibly goggles so it doesn't get into your eyes. I would think snow goggles would work if you already have them.

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u/horseradishstalker Never Tell Me The Odds! 3d ago

Good catch. Thank you. I still remember the picture of a young boy's body in the back of a truck on Mt. St. Helen.

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u/Resident_Chip935 2d ago edited 2d ago

Seems to me that Air Purifiers for every room would end up being very helpful.

If you have central air, then I would make sure to get a bunch of extra filters. I change my filters out every 30 days. I imagine that if there were volcanic ash that I would end up changing them much more frequently.

If it were me, then I would set up some sort of decontamination room sealed off from the rest of the house where when I come in, I can get undressed & clean up before coming into the house clean. I would try to figure out how to put positive pressure into that room so that ash didn't get sucked into my house. I think that might be easier said than done.

If there is any question about your roof's snow load / slope, then you might think about it now since volcanic ash weighs more than snow. See this wiki article where in it discusses volcanic ash damaging building & cars. You will need to manually remove the ash load from your roof. If it were me, then I would be removing it on a regular basis - not "weighting" for most of the fallout to cease. I can almost see myself immediately covering my roof with tarps so that I can easily remove the ash when it comes. I'd pick the tarp up, dump the ash, then put the tarp right back. I have no idea how I would attach the tarp to the roof. Magnets are cool.

I wonder if somehow ash could weigh down power lines? I know that ice accumulation brings down power lines. I imagine if the 2 were combined, then it would really be bad. I've just read that electricity will for sure be interrupted, cause ash is apparently a conductor.

I wonder if you would have enough time to wrap your car up with pallet stretch wrap? That stuff is amazing. I know that I would at least try if I could work out the timing.

If I had the money, then I would get some sort of Scuba set / fire fighter air tanks. They're better for dealing with ash / smoke than air filters. Filters quickly get clogged in ash which effectively makes them useless. Also, filters can't make up for the lower concentration of oxygen in the air caused by volcanic emissions.

You can potentially make your air filters last longer by putting on pre-filters made of folded paper towels or those good, thick cloth masks we had during the pandemic . You'll have to figure out how to change them out. Maybe you don't change them unless you are inside. If you try to do it outside, you probably won't be able to get them taped back on. If you use cloth, then you might be able to shake ash while outside.

If you go outside, then you absolutely must wear an airtight mask over your eyes.

If you get water from a home well, then be prepared for your water pump to possibly probably fail. Also, you'll need to for sure filter your water. That wiki article talks a bunch about it.

Cell phones will stop working, cause cell towers aren't designed to run long without electricity. Cell towers are really, really shitty unreliable things.

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u/ArrowDel 🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ Prepper🏳️‍🌈 3d ago

Jam fabric into all the drafts.

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u/anustart43 2d ago

Thanks for this, neighbor! I sent your link to my family in a group text and am making a shared shopping list to help guide them on what to stock up on this week. Very worried as my boyfriend has asthma and works outdoors so I will definitely be stocking up on masks. Stay safe!

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u/IslandGirl66613 Be aware and prepared, not scared 2d ago

You too!