Urban Survival Guide – How to Survive a Volcanic Eruption

If you live in an area like Hawaii, Alaska or Washington State, you might want to consider the importance of a well stocked emergency BOB and a solid plan in the event of a Volcanic Eruption.  These massive openings on the earth’s surface can erupt at a moment’s notice and cause death and destruction to everything in their path.

Supervolcano survival guide

The ensuing lava is just one of its deadly effects.  Very often these explosions emit poisonous gases that fill the atmosphere with rock and ash for hundreds of miles.  An emergency urban survival plan will most definitely save your life. Fresh volcanic ash spouted by an eruption contains abrasive and corrosive materials which can cause lung damage to adults as well as to children and animals. People who are already suffering from respiratory diseases are at particularly high risk.  This should be taken into account when creating your emergency urban survival kit (be sure to have dust masks or scarfs to cover your face.

It is not uncommon for the ash to become mixed with rain, forming a heavy liquid concoction that can crash through rooftops and relocate foundations of homes and other load bearing structures.  The range of impact can be felt hundreds of miles away from the epicenter of the blast.

An even more dangerous form of explosion is the “lateral blasts” which shoots out rock, lava, and ash in all directions.   These can cause instant death and total destruction in the surrounding areas.  Having an urban survival retreat (could even be a friends home in a neighboring state) to bug out to before an eruption with a good BOB bag should be considered essential.

Even though extremely destructive volcanic eruptions aren’t common, they can strike with very little notice and do occur every few decades or so globally. Here’s a great dramatization of what COULD happen:

Things to Do Before a Volcanic Eruption

  • Prepare an emergency urban survival kit for the entire family with plenty of supplies including non-perishable or canned food, bottled water, flashlights, a battery powered radio, and extra batteries.
  • Prepare an emergency contact plan.   Decide where and when each member of the family will find safety in case of a sudden emergency.
  • Determine a method of contacting one another in case of separation.  This will allow for evacuation plans to be coordinated in advance for optimum safety.
  • Designate locations in and out of your local area for your family and friends to find each other.
  • Time may be a critical factor, so plan ahead by creating a complete and thorough emergency urban survival plan well before an emergency strikes.

Things to Do During a Volcanic Eruption

  • Always follow the evacuation orders given by the state and local governments immediately.  Do not delay.
  • Don’t panic, but always prepare for the worst case scenario with volcanic eruptions.  Grab your emergency urban survival kit.
  • Watch for mud slides especially near streams, rivers and other bodies of water during periods of heavy continuous rainfall.   These can prove fatal, sweeping people away instantly and with a very powerful force.
  • Avoid valleys and other low laying areas.   The direction and flow of the flowing lava will naturally be directed towards these areas.
  • Check with and help the other people in the neighborhood.  There is power in numbers.  Do they have an emergency urban survival plan?
  • Go immediately to a designated shelter as instructed by your local, state and federal governmental agencies and authorities.  Stay alert.
  • Keep yourself informed at all times by listening to National Weather Service broadcasts, TV stations, and radio stations for up-to-date information.
  • Return to your home only when the government agencies have deemed your area safe.