CG Forums Lead Moderator Something Wicked This Way Comes
Posted
quote:
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A volcano erupted Saturday with little warning on a remote island in Alaska, sending residents of a nearby ranch fleeing from falling ash and volcanic rock.
The Okmok Caldera erupted late Saturday morning, just hours after seismologists at the Alaska Volcano Center began detecting a series of small tremors.
The explosion flung an ash cloud at least 50,000 feet high, said geophysicist Steve McNutt.
Nine people, including three children, were at Fort Glenn, a private cattle ranch six miles south of the volcano on Umnak Island, located in the western Aleutians. They managed to call authorities on a satellite phone before losing their connection, according to the Coast Guard, which had a cutter en route to the island, about 860 miles southwest of Anchorage.
Coast Guard Petty Officer Lee Goldsmith said those at Fort Glenn reported rock and ash falling around them.
A Coast Guard cutter set out for the ranch but wasn't expected to arrive until Sunday morning, Goldsmith said. Because of the ash and rock, the Coast Guard could not send aircraft, Goldsmith said.
The Fort Glenn residents were planning to use a small private helicopter to fly to nearby Unalaska Island, which is separated from Fort Glenn by a five-mile channel.
"They can only carry one person at a time in that helicopter," Goldsmith said.
Okmok is 60 miles west of the busy fishing port of Dutch Harbor on Unalaska Island. Ash was reported falling in the region, McNutt said.
Two planned flights from Unalaska were canceled in response to the eruption, said Jerry Lucas, a spokesman for PenAir, the primary airliner serving the area.
The 3,500-foot volcano last erupted in 1997, according to McNutt. The volcano has shown signs of increased activity during the last few months, he said.
Previous eruptions have typically produced lava flows, but the volcano center could not immediately determine if that had occurred in Saturday's explosion, McNutt said.
In the far reaches of Alaska, the CG is often the only available transportation, especially down the chain. So many Federal and State agencies work together up there. Many times the Alaska State Troopers flew "Red Tail Air," both helo and C130.
Reminds me of the story of the 1912 (?) eruption that covered Kodiak in several feet of ash. The residents of Kodiak took shelter in the Cutter Bear!
Hope it goes well for them and they keep any eye on those intake filters!
n1dp writes: Reminds me of the story of the 1912 (?) eruption that covered Kodiak in several feet of ash. The residents of Kodiak took shelter in the Cutter Bear!
David: That was a very interesting time in Kodiak... Did a little research on the volcano you talk about...I believe the Revenue Cutter Manning was the ship that the residents took refuge on...Makes for an interesting read...If you read it, make sure you don't miss the part about the burial from the ship...
The story is actually written by an eyewitness who witnessed the fallout...
Great story! A kind of "end of the world experience." I had heard the story it was the Bear some time we were up there. A whole bunch of great history in Alaska and just around Kodiak alone!
Being able to fly in and out of so many places, was super. If I had been younger when I joined, I think a year at Attu would have been a great adventure.
That ash still lingers on the bottom of your car up there.
I was living in a 5th wheel trailer, Floyd had many CG friends, they would sit outside and tell stories. I began to tape them. I mailed them to Jack and he asked if he could put them on Jacks Joint I gave him permission. As soon as Jacks Joint opened he had MANY stories. Jacks son called me and asked if I had anymore stories about Jack. I didn't. When Jack died I don't know who took over.
