EMR Kill Dozens, Displace Tens of Thousands in Sri Lanka

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME MONSOON RAINS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
SCENARIOS  070, 023
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Extreme Monsoon Rains (EMR), Severe Flooding Devastate Large Swathes of Sri Lanka

Flooding and landslides have left dozens of people dead and tens of thousands of others displaced in western and central parts of Sri Lanka.

Severe flash flooding and mudslides triggered by unusually intense monsoon rains have toppled buildings and washed away bridges and destroyed much of the public infrastructure, forcing hundreds of school closures throughout the country, reports said.

The government has deployed both the navy and air force to help with rescue operations in the affected areas, said reports

Sri Lankan men stand on debris of damaged houses in Mathugama, on the outskirts of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Tuesday, June 3, 2014. Many people have died in Sri Lanka from two days of floods and mudslides triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains, officials said Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Alaska Flights Grounded amid Continued Activity at Pavlof

VOLCANIC HAZARD
SCENARIO 07
.

Regional Airline Cancels Alaska Flights

Plumes of smoke, steam and ash from Pavlof continue to reach heights  of about 7,500m (24,000 feet),  according to Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO).

Meantime, PenAir, a regional airline, canceled flights from Anchorage to  Cold Bay and Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Islands on Wednesday.

Pavlof eruption with lava fountaining, early June 3, 2014, as viewed from Cold Bay. Photo credit: AVO/ Robert Stacy.

So far, no ash has reached any of local communities, according to AVO.

LAST ACTIVITY REPORT: ALASKA VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

Thursday, June 5, 2014 5:16 AM AKDT (Thursday, June 5, 2014 13:16 UTC)
UPDATED by FIRE-EARTH at 13:35UTC

PAVLOF VOLCANO (VNUM #312030)
55°25’2″ N 161°53’37” W, Summit Elevation 8261 ft (2518 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Two strong explosions were recorded in seismic data early this morning (10:05 and 10:45 UTC; 02:05 and 02:45 AKDT) at Pavlof. Lightning was detected by the WWLLN system but there is no indication of higher altitude ash in satellite data. Meteorological cloud tops are up to 29,000 ft. ASL and winds are to the west-southwest.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 12:14 PM AKDT (Wednesday, June 4, 2014 20:14 UTC)

The eruption of Pavlof Volcano continues. Seismicity remains stable and unchanged in the past 24 hours. Persistent elevated surface temperatures were observed in satellite images. FAA web camera views yesterday afternoon showed a towering steam plume above the vent and lower-level ash from pyroclastic flow activity on the north flank. Wind direction has shifted in the past 24 hours to a more westerly direction and recent satellite views show a plume rich in SO2 gas, steam, and minor ash extending variably between 30 and 100 km downwind and passing over Cold Bay. There have been no reports of ash fall in Cold Bay or any other community. Incandescence from lava fountaining was visible in early morning web camera images, however low-level weather clouds obscure more recent views.

Alerts at Other Alaska Volcanoes

• Shishaldin: Color Code: ORANGE/ Alert Level WATCH
• Cleveland: Color Code YELLOW / Alert Level ADVISORY
• Veniaminof: Color Code YELLOW / Alert Level ADVISORY

Index map showing location of Pavlof volcano and other Alaska Peninsula volcanoes.  Credit: Janet Schaefer/AVO

Related Links

• Eruption of Pavlof Continues June 4, 2014
• Pavlof Eruption Intensifies June 26, 2013
• Second Alaska Volcano Erupts Posted on May 16, 2013
• Volcanoes in a Dozen Global Regions Erupting  May 19, 2013

FIRE-EARTH Bulletin NO. 103 – June 5, 2014

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

FIRE-EARTH Bulletin NO. 103 has been released.

Related links

2. Bulletin Board