More About Volcanic Ash Falls Disaster Preparedness

This post continues the saga of volcanic ash falls and what to do to get ready for them. 


The local ash falls were not severe enough to warrant dirty and clean rooms, but were a close call. We got good wind direction and rain at the right time to avoid bad problems. It was enough for me to program relevant numbers into my phone and  find out what I needed to know, however.


As Europeans found out, planes get grounded in volcanic ash falls. That is because engines suck in volcanic ash and get clogged and die. If that happens to an airplane the engine has to be taken completely apart and cleaned. That is assuming that  no plane crash happens, of course.


The same thing can happen to other engines like boats, cars, and trucks, etc. This can lead to not getting important things like food. If you are prepared for a Zombie Apocalypse, then you will already have some food handy for other emergencies like ash falls. The reverse is true. If you are ready for an ash fall, you will have the food necessary to be ready for a Zombie Apocalypse as well.


I also like to keep filter masks and particulate filters handy in the event of further ash falls. I read that cowboys used silk bandannas because they are good dust filters, so silk fabric might be a good preparedness item.


This post is pretty fun to write so I think I will keep going and split it up since it is already too long. I am about to unleash my sesquipedalian tendencies and use an even bigger word. Brace yourselves.


(Drum roll.) The word is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis. It means bad stuff that happens to your lungs when you breathe volcanic dust. The medical community got tired of being bested by lawyers in court so they got one up on them with that word. I'd like to watch a lawyer say that fast twice in a court room.
Once might even do it.


The next thing I wanted to tell about on this volcanic ash fall post is about another personal experience with it and a vicarious one as well.


A girlfriend moved to an area in Oregon near the Washington border. She was 6 miles as the crow flies from Mount Saint Helens when it blew its top. She wrote letters to me about it. They were pretty frequent, since a lot was going on.


She had to cover their spring so they had drinking water, and wipe off animals' noses and mouths. She wrote a lot about watching the smoke in the 
not-so-far distance. 


I visited her when it was still smoking a lot. That was my first close encounter with a smoking volcano. Now I have five of the suckers around me that might choose to spray ash all over any time. 


I can't say I am blase' about volcanoes now. I don't get nearly as excited as I used to though. You can only stay excited for so long before it wears you out. I'd rather not waste the energy.


It saves a lot of wear and tear on you and your loved ones to figure out what you need to deal with an ash fall emergency. You can then go get what you need to deal with an ash fall emergency and stop worrying until the next ash fall. Don't forget extra filters for your cars and trucks.