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Volcanic haze alert extended another day
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Posted on Feb 01 2005
The volcanic ash and haze alert originally issued Monday has been extended, with north-northeast winds continuing to bring ash from Anatahan across Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, according to an advisory issued by the Emergency Management Office, in coordination with the Department of Public Health and the National Weather Service.
These agencies remind the public to take precautionary measures from the potential harmful effects of the smog or ash.
Winds shifted toward the populated islands of the CNMI since 3:30pm Monday afternoon and remain that way at five to 10 miles per hour, resulting in EMO extending the alert for another 24 hours.
The particles, appearing like a hazy film over the sky, were visible yesterday, resulting in limited long-range visibility.
“I was surprised. I didn’t think it was going to be like that. It looked like it was raining hard at the other end of the island but when I drove there, there was no rain…it was dry,” said 22-year-old Steven Taitano.
DPH advises residents with serious lung problems, such as asthma, to avoid prolonged outdoor air exposure as the volcanic smog poses a health hazard by aggravating preexisting respiratory ailments.
“Cover your mouth and nose when outside as volcanic ash can irritate your respiratory system, and wear goggles to protect your eyes,” said Public Health Secretary James U. Hofschneider.
Residents are urged to avoid drinking water collected from rainfall and to protect water supply by covering water tanks, as well as shutting off roof-collection systems.
Anatahan is an uninhabited island about 120 miles north of Saipan. It continues to erupt, with explosions occurring about every minute.
