Following the tremendous tsunami that claimed more than 400 lives in Indonesia over the holiday weekend, Indonesian authorities fear more destruction could be on the way. Anak Krakatoa, a large volcano in the middle of the sea, erupted recently and is still spewing forth ash and lava at time of writing.
The resulting extreme weather surrounding the volcano has led authorities to warn that further tsunamis could be on the horizon.
Southeast Asian volcanic activity has historically been a major source of extreme, dangerous weather conditions. The most recent Anak Krakatoa eruption is no exception. The eruption caused a huge section of the volcano to shake loose from the island and come crashing into the sea. The section of mountain comprised nearly 64 hectares, displacing huge amounts of water and causing huge, 16-foot waves.
As of now, there is a state of emergency declared in Indonesia that is set to last until January 4th. Further volcanic activity may cause more debris to be displaced and could result in more tsunamis. For now, Indonesian citizens are being urged to stay away from the ocean at all costs. It’s likely another powerful weather event could occur in the next day or so, and those who are able need to evacuate immediately.
Indonesian authorities are moving rapidly to establish communication for early warnings of further tsunamis. The Indonesian national weather service has set up an advanced monitoring system to help get early warning of further seismic activity. There is also a two kilometer exclusion zone in effect to help the weather predictive efforts.
Search and rescue team are out attempting to find and help those affected by the tsunami. At time of writing, many roads are still damaged, and several villages are inaccessible by land vehicles. As such, rescue helicopters have been called in to help those who are stranded. In the meantime, Indonesian citizens are urged to stay as far away from the ocean as they can.
