Stunning before-and-after images show Tonga smothered in volcanic ash
The death toll rose Tuesday as the island nation, which is largely cut off from the rest of the world after the disaster, called for help and the international community began to realize the scope of the devastation.
By
Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jan 18, 2022 1:14 PM EST
|
Updated Jan 18, 2022 3:57 PM EST
Official says there is an immediate need for drinking water and food, as efforts begin to assess the scale of the damage.
In the days since Tonga was struck by a massive underwater volcanic eruption Saturday, a thick layer of volcanic ash remained blanketed over the island nation as new devastating images and details came to light.
Officials confirmed Tuesday morning that at least three people on the island were killed in the blast and its aftermath. A government statement said one victim, a 50-year-old British woman named Angela Glover, was swept away by tsunami waves triggered by the eruption. The two other victims were a 65-year-old-woman and a 49-year-old man, NBC News reported.
The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, located just under 20 miles (32 km) from Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island, had a radius of 162 miles (260 km) and sent a plume of ash, gas and steam as high as 12 miles (19 km) into the atmosphere.
According to reports, the blast could be heard as far away as Alaska and set off tsunami warnings and massive waves to all corners of the Pacific Ocean. Dangerously large waves were reported in Japan and near Peru, where they triggered an oil spill and two drownings.
"This might be the loudest eruption since [the eruption of the Indonesian volcano] Krakatau in 1883," said Michael Poland, who works as a geophysicist with the USGS.
Satellite images released Monday by Maxar showed the incredible and immense damage caused by the volcano.
"Today’s imagery clearly shows that most of the volcanic island that used to be above water was destroyed by the eruption," Maxar Senior Director Stephen Wood said in an email. "Moreover, volcanic debris can be seen floating in the ocean," he added. "Nearby, ash from the volcano covers many of the homes and buildings across Tonga while damage from the tsunami is evident near the main port facilities in Nuku’alofa."
Officials fear the death toll from the disaster could rise, while damage from volcanic ash has only hampered relief efforts. Organizations around the world are gravely concerned for the island nation's water supply, as drinking water can easily be contaminated by ash and smoke. The Tonga government issued a plea for "immediate aid" in the wake of the disaster.
Those factors, along with the giant volcanic ash cloud that blanketed the nation throughout the weekend, have also greatly reduced the area's air quality.
This satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite, and released by the agency, shows an undersea volcano eruption at the Pacific nation of Tonga Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday, sending large waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. (Japan Meteorology Agency via AP)
Neighboring countries including New Zealand and Australia have sent flights to survey the damage, although initial efforts by an Australian reconnaissance flight were delayed due to the ash. CNN reported that several other flights from New Zealand and Fiji were also postponed due to the ash cloud.
According to Reuters, communication with the island nation has remained limited as well. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that there had been no communication from the Ha’apai group of islands.
In the days since the tragedy, reports from individuals and businesses on the island, such as the Ha'atafu Beach Resort, have begun trickling out of the nation. Their accounts capture just a glimpse of the island's widespread devastation.
"Malo e lelei to everyone," the Ha'atafu Beach Resort said in a somber Facebook post, which thanked the public for its support and donations. "Our home Ha’atafu beach resort along with all the resorts/homes along the western coastlines have been severely damaged and or have been completely wiped out. The village of Kanokupolu and small parts of Ahau has also been severely damaged by the tsunami ... Stay safe everyone and we thank you all again for you love and support. Ofa atu."
This animated image shows atmospheric pressure changes being detected by weather observation stations across the United States after the powerful volcanic eruption near Tonga. (Iowa Environmental Mesonet)
Far away from Tonga, located about 1,400 miles northeast of New Zealand and 5,000 miles from Southern California, shock waves from the eruption rippled throughout the entire world and caused changes in atmospheric pressure that were detected at weather stations across the globe.
According to experts, the Saturday blast was likely the strongest recorded volcanic eruption in many decades. For specifically Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, University of Auckland expert Shane Cronin told NewScientist that this was a once in a millennia type event.
The volcano hadn't seen such a powerful eruption since AD 1100. Before that, Cronin's team found evidence of a similar massive eruption in AD 200, giving evidence that such eruptions occur once every 1,000 years.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Weather News
Stunning before-and-after images show Tonga smothered in volcanic ash
The death toll rose Tuesday as the island nation, which is largely cut off from the rest of the world after the disaster, called for help and the international community began to realize the scope of the devastation.
By Mark Puleo, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Jan 18, 2022 1:14 PM EST | Updated Jan 18, 2022 3:57 PM EST
Official says there is an immediate need for drinking water and food, as efforts begin to assess the scale of the damage.
In the days since Tonga was struck by a massive underwater volcanic eruption Saturday, a thick layer of volcanic ash remained blanketed over the island nation as new devastating images and details came to light.
Officials confirmed Tuesday morning that at least three people on the island were killed in the blast and its aftermath. A government statement said one victim, a 50-year-old British woman named Angela Glover, was swept away by tsunami waves triggered by the eruption. The two other victims were a 65-year-old-woman and a 49-year-old man, NBC News reported.
The eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, located just under 20 miles (32 km) from Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island, had a radius of 162 miles (260 km) and sent a plume of ash, gas and steam as high as 12 miles (19 km) into the atmosphere.
According to reports, the blast could be heard as far away as Alaska and set off tsunami warnings and massive waves to all corners of the Pacific Ocean. Dangerously large waves were reported in Japan and near Peru, where they triggered an oil spill and two drownings.
"This might be the loudest eruption since [the eruption of the Indonesian volcano] Krakatau in 1883," said Michael Poland, who works as a geophysicist with the USGS.
Satellite images released Monday by Maxar showed the incredible and immense damage caused by the volcano.
"Today’s imagery clearly shows that most of the volcanic island that used to be above water was destroyed by the eruption," Maxar Senior Director Stephen Wood said in an email. "Moreover, volcanic debris can be seen floating in the ocean," he added. "Nearby, ash from the volcano covers many of the homes and buildings across Tonga while damage from the tsunami is evident near the main port facilities in Nuku’alofa."
Officials fear the death toll from the disaster could rise, while damage from volcanic ash has only hampered relief efforts. Organizations around the world are gravely concerned for the island nation's water supply, as drinking water can easily be contaminated by ash and smoke. The Tonga government issued a plea for "immediate aid" in the wake of the disaster.
Those factors, along with the giant volcanic ash cloud that blanketed the nation throughout the weekend, have also greatly reduced the area's air quality.
This satellite image taken by Himawari-8, a Japanese weather satellite, and released by the agency, shows an undersea volcano eruption at the Pacific nation of Tonga Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday, sending large waves crashing across the shore and people rushing to higher ground. (Japan Meteorology Agency via AP)
Neighboring countries including New Zealand and Australia have sent flights to survey the damage, although initial efforts by an Australian reconnaissance flight were delayed due to the ash. CNN reported that several other flights from New Zealand and Fiji were also postponed due to the ash cloud.
According to Reuters, communication with the island nation has remained limited as well. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Monday that there had been no communication from the Ha’apai group of islands.
In the days since the tragedy, reports from individuals and businesses on the island, such as the Ha'atafu Beach Resort, have begun trickling out of the nation. Their accounts capture just a glimpse of the island's widespread devastation.
"Malo e lelei to everyone," the Ha'atafu Beach Resort said in a somber Facebook post, which thanked the public for its support and donations. "Our home Ha’atafu beach resort along with all the resorts/homes along the western coastlines have been severely damaged and or have been completely wiped out. The village of Kanokupolu and small parts of Ahau has also been severely damaged by the tsunami ... Stay safe everyone and we thank you all again for you love and support. Ofa atu."
This animated image shows atmospheric pressure changes being detected by weather observation stations across the United States after the powerful volcanic eruption near Tonga. (Iowa Environmental Mesonet)
Far away from Tonga, located about 1,400 miles northeast of New Zealand and 5,000 miles from Southern California, shock waves from the eruption rippled throughout the entire world and caused changes in atmospheric pressure that were detected at weather stations across the globe.
According to experts, the Saturday blast was likely the strongest recorded volcanic eruption in many decades. For specifically Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai, University of Auckland expert Shane Cronin told NewScientist that this was a once in a millennia type event.
The volcano hadn't seen such a powerful eruption since AD 1100. Before that, Cronin's team found evidence of a similar massive eruption in AD 200, giving evidence that such eruptions occur once every 1,000 years.
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