Volcano

[TheMercenary]

A pain in the ash: Volcano irritates Alaskans

Apr 5, 1:23 PM (ET)

By MARY PEMBERTON

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Mount Redoubt is getting under the skin of Alaska, and it's not just the irritation caused by volcanic ash.

For residents of Alaska's largest city, living near an active volcano means sometimes wearing air-filtration masks and stretching panty hose over the air intake of cars and trucks.

The volcano also brings daily uncertainty about whether it will blow and, if it does, where the ash will go.

"I would like it to have a big boom and get it over with," said Brad Sandison, a retired truck driver and avid cyclist who carries a face mask and goggles whenever he rides just in case the volcano starts spewing ash.

The mountain 100 miles southwest of Anchorage tends to erupt every decade or so and belch ash for months. Geologists have recorded at least 19 eruptions since March 22, including one on Saturday.

So far, Mount Redoubt's almost daily ash clouds have canceled hundreds of airline flights, reduced the number of shipments flowing through a huge FedEx cargo facility and cut shipments of fresh Alaskan seafood.

continues:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090405/D97CEHUG0.html