WeatherFanatics: More Than 4,000 Evacuated After First Calbuco Eruption in 42 Years

By Michael Kuhne, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

April 23,2015; 10:58PM,EDT

The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted Wednesday, forcing authorities to order the evacuation of thousands of people in the area.
Wednesday's eruption is the first in more than 42 years, the Associated Press reported.
A second eruption followed a few hours, according to the BBC.
Authorities issued a red alert and evacuated more than 4,000 people from a 12-mile (20-km) radius, the BBC continued. That included residents from the nearby town of Ensenada and two other smaller communities.
Government officials late Wednesday also reported a lava flow coming from the volcano with some river flooding occurring nearby.
"After each eruption, the winds aloft pushed the ash to the north and east of the volcano," stated AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski.
The volcanic ash dropped visibility down to 0.3125 of a mile (500 meters) at San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina Thursday afternoon.
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"The main ash cloud from the first eruption dispersed near the central border of Argentina and Chile, and the ash from the second eruption will gradually do the same through Thursday night," added Pydynowski.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center in Buenos Aires reports that ash emissions into the lower levels of the atmosphere continue.
"Lighter winds will cause this ash to drift in a general northeast direction over places not far from the volcano through early Friday," continued Pydynowski.

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BioBioChile @biobio

AHORA: escucha en vivo en Radio @biobio Puerto Montt los detalles de la erupción del #Calbuco http://vivo.radiobiobio.cl/player/?radio=puerto%20montt …

1:18 AM - 23 Apr 2015

"For us it was a surprise," Alejandro Verges told the AP. Verges is the regional emergency director of the Los Lagos region where the eruption took place.
Calbuco is considered one of the top three most potentially dangerous among Chile's 90 active volcanos, according to the article.
In the wake of the eruption, the Education Ministry canceled school in communities near the volcano, according to the article. LATAM airlines cancelled flights to and from Puerto Varas and Puerto Montt, both of which are in close proximity to the volcano, according to the AP.
No injuries have been reported. A hiker who was feared to be missing earlier has since been found.
"The winds are not expected to bring significant ash to the major cities of Santiago and Buenos Aires," continued Pydynowski.
Ash was filtering through the air in Concepcion, Chile, Thursday afternoon, which is located about 300 miles (480 km) north of the volcano. About 56 miles (90 km) northeast of the volcano, The Associated Press reports that a thin layer of ash coated cars and streets in Villa La Angostura, Argentina.
"If there is another major eruption that produces a large ash cloud later Friday or this weekend, stronger winds blowing over the volcano could push the ash across more of southern Argentina and to the waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean," she added.
The eruption occurred as the area surrounding the volcano is in the midst of a dry spell with a ridge of high pressure overhead, according to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
"This time of year, rainy days are increasingly common," stated Andrews. "If it is not raining, [the area] is prone to fog and clouds."

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