May 25, 2013
Alaska's Mount Redoubt volano erupts 6 times
WILLOW, Alaska (AP) - National Weather Service experts say a fine gray dust is going to be hanging in the air around Anchorage, Alaska, "for quite some time."
It's coming from Mount Redoubt. The 10,200 foot volcano has erupted six times in the past day or so. That's sent a plume of ash
far into the sky.
Residents in the state's largest city have been spared from
falling ash, but the small communities to the north of Anchorage
are getting that fine dust. Some locations report as much as a
half-inch.
Ash from Alaska's volcano is highly abrasive. The heavier
particles quickly drop out, but what remains can still hurt the
skin, eyes and respiratory system. It's also a danger to planes,
cars and other vehicles, damaging engines.
Alaska Airlines canceled 19 flights yesterday because of the ash.
Geologists at the Alaska Volcano Observatory say Redoubt's history suggests it could erupt again in the next few days or
weeks.
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