Volcanic ash drifts over Belize
Over the last year, News Five has brought you no less than a dozen stories documenting the plight of residents of the small Caribbean island of Montserrat who found themselves at the mercy of a pesky volcano. While life on the island appears to have returned to normal, another volcano, this one closer to home has started to act up, and Belizeans could find themselves covered by it fury.
It may be one of the most spectacular natural fireworks display, but it could also be one of the deadliest and on Wednesday afternoon citizens of neighboring Guatemala experienced it first hand. Thousands of people in Guatemala City and surrounding areas were forced to remain indoors as streets and homes were buried in ash from the Pacaya Volcano. Located twelve miles south of Guatemala City, the volcano was threatening to blow its top for almost a month. When it finally erupted this week, thick columns of black smoke rose thousands of feet into the sky, while burning Lava poured down the mountain side. As officials in Guatemala scrambled to evacuate people living near the belching volcano and issue advisories to prevent casualties from smoke inhalation, neighboring countries, including Belize, are being advised that the effects of the eruption could be far reaching.
Justin Hulse, Meteorologist
“Every time there is a volcanic eruption in our area, the people responsible for volcanic eruption, the weather service in Washington prepare a volcanic ash advisory and it was this advisory that alerted us to the eruption of this mountain.
It said that around midday the Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala – this volcano is about twelve miles south of Guatemala City. It had erupted and that they expected the ash from that volcano to move across Central America and the northwest Caribbean.”
Whether or not the ashes drift over Belize will depend on the prevailing weather conditions over the next couple of days. In Guatemala on Wednesday, however, visibility was drastically reduced, forcing authorities to close the country’s international airport until Friday afternoon. Word out of Guatemala City is that the hospitals are over crowded with people complaining of eye infections and breathing problems.
Justin Hulse
“This picture was taken around midday yesterday about the same time the volcano was erupting. You could see near Guatemala City this dark area on the picture and that is where, that is showing the eruption. And you also notice the wind flow is from the Pacific Ocean, across Guatemala to Yucatan and Belize and this would be the same direction that the plume would follow.”
Today, however, the Washington Weather Service in their last advisory to the Belize Weather Bureau reported that the volcanic activity had slowed considerably.
The eruption of the Pacaya Volcano has forced the cancellation of a yearly excursion of Belizeans to the Guatemalan town Esquipulas, where visitors offer prayers and make offerings to the patron saint Esquipulas.
