September has been very hard on Mexico, with two earthquakes striking, one in Chiapas and one in Puebla, only 12 days apart from each other. The country is currently in a state of emergency, and even though Mexicans (and many foreigners) from all over the world are working together to come out of this stronger, danger still looms on the horizon.
Right now as you’re reading this, there is a steady stream of heavy smoke and gasses coming out of the Popocatepetl – Nahuatl for “smoking mountain” – volcano, located in the state of Puebla and Morelos, only 100 miles away from the epicenter of the September 19 tremor.
Esta mañana el #Popocatépetl ha emitido explosiones. Esta actividad está contemplada en el Semáforo de Alerta Volcánica #AmarilloFase2. pic.twitter.com/dNGNiVx8j3
— Luis Felipe Puente Espinosa (@LUISFELIPE_P) September 27, 2017
Last Wednesday, Luis Felipe Puente, the national coordinator of civil protection, tweeted that the explosions were contemplated by the agency as a yellow alert. With the country still going through the jitters of this traumatic month, the people doesn’t look with kind eyes, the cloud of black plumes of ash and super-heated fragments coming out of Mexico’s second highest peak (17,802 ft), that on clear days is visible from the country’s capital, located only 43 miles southeast.
With the situation on yellow alert, people living near the volcano are required to stay “alert and aware” of what authorities and news media are reporting about the volcano activity. If officials were to declare “red alert”, evacuations of all residents near the area would be required.
Ante #CaídaDeCeniza por actividad del #Popocatépetl cubre nariz y boca con un pañuelo húmedo y evita realizar actividades al aire libre pic.twitter.com/LMJ2K9MEWc
— Coordinación Nacional de Protección Civil (@CNPC_MX) September 27, 2017
Due to the heavy fall of ashes, the civil protection agency is requiring citizens to cover their nose and mouth with a damp cloth, and to avoid any outdoor activities. 24 hours ago, “The Popo” as the volcano is affectionately called by the inhabitants, started throwing “incandescent fragments” at more than 1,000 yards down, and the air has started to drift the ash west, according to the agency.
https://www.facebook.com/publimetromx/videos/10155735055015126/
Even though clouds obscures the view of Popocatepetl, Mexico City authorities have that a movement of steam and gas from the crater has been visible since last week. Officials have had to warn hikers and people in general to not approach the crater because of the danger of “ballistic fragments.”
The Popocatepetl is the most active volcano in Mexico, having had more than 15 major eruptions since the arrival of the Spanish colonizers back in 1519. Last March 2016, an ash column 6,600 ft high was released, prompting a 12-kilometer “security ring” around the summit.A month later, the volcano erupted, spewing lava, ash and rock. Only last month, the agency reported 4 discreet blasts coming from the crater.