Mayon’s Slow‑Moash: A Quiet Yet Skittish Eruption Sends Thousands Evacuating
On Monday, the ancient 2,460‑meter cone, Mayon, kept its composure but quietly discharged a steady stream of lava, a 1,000‑metre steam plume that made the sky feel like a smoked-up skylight. Even in its “quiet” mode, the volcano’s doing a great job of turning the locals into amateur counselors.
What the Volcano Is Really Saying
- “I’m in a low‑key mode, but I might crank it up!” – the voice of Phivolcs scientist Paul Alanis to AFP.
- A sharp 60‑km/h lava spray could arrive like a surprise party drill.
- Continuous rain is staging the perfect backdrop for a lahar (volcanic mudflow) so, no surprise, that’s the watch list.
Evacuation FAQs (Because You’re Not a Rocket Scientist)
Hey, you know you’re outside your 7‑km danger zone? Great, because that’s the radius of the most underestimated “smoke alarm” ever.
12,000 people got the memo super early, because, honestly, standing on the lip of a volcano is a bad dating decision.
The Ground‑Truth About the Lava
Phivolcs director Renato Solidum said the lava is a lot more fluid than the 2014 flow that scared 63,000 folks. In other words, it’s just the side of the volcano that wants to be “smooth” today.
Here’s the kicker: they’re watching for a pattern where a gentle lava push can turn into a full‑blown, “Cindy the super‑fast volcano” style eruption.
Historical Horror Show Reel
- 1814 – 1,200 lives lost (Cagsawa buried, you know).
- 2006 – 1,000 lives lost from a lahar launched by a typhoon.
- 2013 – 4 foreign tourists and a guide got a tour that was a bit too literal.
- 2014 – 63,000 people were asked to move away faster than a late‑night Uber ride.
What’s the real danger? Sulphur dioxide fumes.
Phivolcs advised residents to lean over with a damp cloth, because “if you’ve been breathing, clip your throat like you’re trying to catch a bus.” They warned that even just a few minutes of inhalation could cause you to start coughing like you’re in a subway that’s intermittently broken.
AKnowledging the Panic
Classes shut down on longer watchlist islands. Some humble schools turned into evacuation centers – because the best “extra curriculum” is avoiding that creeping volcano.
“I’m afraid,” confessed Nerry Briones. “The volcano rumbles like a rolling thunder.” Her family and neighbors, who have lived through the volcano’s saucy history, are listening and acting accordingly.
