Popocatepetl—Mexico’s Majestic, Menacing Volcano
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN MEXICO
HOW would you like to live alongside a beautiful yet threatening volcano? Perhaps you would think twice about that. Nevertheless, this is the real situation for thousands of people who dwell in the towns around the majestic volcano Popocatepetl, in Mexico.
History of the Volcano
Its name in Nahuatl means “Mount” or “Hill That Smokes.” It is 17,887 feet [5,452 m] high and is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, in the state of Puebla, near the borders of the states of Mexico and Morelos. It has a beautiful and majestic conical form with snow on top year-round. In the course of the years, this impressive volcano has disrupted the lives of the rural inhabitants of the zone by erupting some 16 times between 1347 and 1927. However, none of these eruptions were significant.
The volcano is situated between two large urban areas: the city of Puebla, located 27 miles [44 km] to the east and the city of Mexico, located some 40 miles [70 km] to the northwest. In addition, in the state of Puebla, there are 307 towns, with a total population of 400,000, that are near the volcano. Although it is true that not all of these people are located in areas of high risk, the economic and social impact that a major eruption of Popocatepetl would have on them would be extremely bad for the area.
At the end of 1994, there was a considerable increase in the activity of the volcano—to such a degree that an alarm was raised and people began to be evacuated immediately. On December 21, 1994, at least three openings appeared at the base of the crater, through which gas and steam came out. The ashfall, which extended all the way to the city of Puebla, amounted to about 5,000 tons. The government then implemented a program to evacuate some 50,000 people, 30,000 of whom were accommodated in shelters.
Jehovah’s Witnesses also responded by providing housing for those in need. (Compare Acts 4:32-35.) The report from the Witness relief committee says: “Despite the hour and the urgency of the situation, the response of the brothers of the city of Puebla and its vicinity was outstanding. Arrangements were made to accommodate over 600 people. A television station commented: ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses acted with all promptness. They evacuated their brothers from the danger zone immediately.’”
The Volcano Awakens
According to official information, on Tuesday, March 5, 1996, at 3:50 a.m., a sudden increase was noted in the seismic activity of the volcano, probably associated with the uncovering of great channels opened by the gas and steam from the activity of December 21, 1994. The photographs and information obtained confirmed that these channels had been obstructed by ash, which caused an increase in the internal pressure of the volcano. This pressure, in turn, finally reopened the channels.
The newspaper El Universal, of Tuesday, April 9, 1996, commented: “The Popocatepetl had a flow of lava in the crater, so the scientific community and the authorities from the Civil Protection Agency are on the alert, in the face of an increase in the activity of the volcano.” The report stated that the changes “form the shape of a ‘dome,’ which will cause the ‘channels’ of the Popocatepetl to become filled in the course of some months, which could cause an external overflow.”
On Thursday, May 2, 1996, at a meeting in the city of Puebla, the behavior of the Popocatepetl volcano in its new phase was discussed. Dr. Servando de la Cruz Reyna, a member of the Institute of Geophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, commented: “Naturally, this causes great concern . . . There is always the possibility that the volcano will evolve into a more explosive phase. This can happen, and we do not deny it for a moment.”
Criticism has been voiced that even though the government talks about housing programs and evacuation and holds meetings to give direction to the populace, the reality is that the people who live in the region feel that they have not received clear guidance as to how to proceed in case the volcano does erupt. For instance, at the aforementioned meeting, various representatives from towns that are close to the volcano protested that they did not know which shelter or shelters to go to in case of a disaster.
The warnings that the volcano has been sending out should be taken seriously. Prudent people will undoubtedly do whatever is possible to protect their lives, even at the expense of material things. Jehovah’s Witnesses living in that zone have been preparing to evacuate the region if the need arises. A relief committee has been assigned to visit the Witnesses in the zone regularly, guiding them as to what they can do in case of a disaster. Some who live closer to the danger zone have been encouraged to abandon that region while there is still time, since the volcanologists have clearly warned that the volcano is an imminent danger. Obviously, that decision is left to each family.
For now, people who live in the neighborhood of the volcano live normal lives. However, common sense dictates that the population stay alert to any warning from the volcano or from the authorities that might indicate an emergency situation. It is not wise to remain indifferent to the warnings of the majestic but menacing volcano Popocatepetl.
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Recommendations in Case of Disaster
The National Center for the Prevention of Disasters has provided a list of steps that should be taken before a disaster arises:
• Know your evacuation route. (Look for high places, not depressions where lava, water, or mud could flow)
• Have a suitcase ready with personal documents, medicines, water, a change of clothing (preferably something heavy that covers the whole body), a hat, a handkerchief to cover the nose and mouth, a battery lamp, a radio, batteries, and a blanket
• Make arrangements with relatives who can provide alternative accommodations and thus avoid the use of public shelters
• Take essentials only. Do not take pets or animals
• Know how to find public shelters
• Shut off the electricity, gas, and water
• Keep calm