A volcano is a vent in the Earth's crust. Hot rock, steam, poisonous gases and ash reach the Earth’s surface when a volcano erupts. An eruption can also cause earthquakes, mudflows and flash floods, rock falls and landslides, acid rain, fires, and even tsunamis.
Volcanic gas and ash can damage the lungs of small infants, older adults, and people with severe respiratory illnesses. Volcanic ash can affect people hundreds of miles away from the eruption.
Although there are no guarantees of safety during a volcanic eruption, you can take actions to protect yourself. You should have a disaster plan. Being prepared can help reduce fear, anxiety and losses.
Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Volcano(Federal Emergency Management Agency) - http://www.fema.gov/hazard/volcano/index.shtm
- Volcanoes(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/volcanoes/
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What Are Volcano Hazards?(U.S. Geological Survey) - http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs002-97/
Also available in Spanish http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs144-00/fs144-00.pdf
- Volcanic Ash: What it Can Do and How to Prevent Damage(U.S. Geological Survey) - http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/ash/
- Volcanos Can Impact Air Quality(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=static.volcano_events
- Article: Disasters, women's health, and conservative society: working in Pakistan with... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18019091&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Use the calm between the storms. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18004366&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Emergency medicine in the Comoros Islands. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17804146&tool=MedlinePlus
- Volcanoes -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(volcan*[tiab]+OR+volcanic+eruption[mh])+AND+(disaster+planning[mh]+OR+emergencies[mh])+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+5+Years&tool=MedlinePlus
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Federal Emergency Management Agency - http://www.fema.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.fema.gov/spanish/index_spa.shtm
- Volcano Hazards Program(U.S. Geological Survey) - http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/
- Coping with Disasters - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/copingwithdisasters.html
- Disaster Preparation and Recovery - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/disasterpreparationandrecovery.html
- Disasters - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/disasters.html