Since April 2005, AVO has received 4905 emails to the webmaster. The 2005-2006 eruption of Augustine volcano increased email traffic from 20 emails per month to 20 emails per day.

Do you have recollections of Alaskan volcanic eruptions from days gone by? Do you still come across volcanic ash from Augustine, Spurr, or Redoubt in your yard, attic, or garage? Have you ever seen glowing red blobs on the side of a distant volcano, while on a trans-subarctic journey? We would love to hear your story.

Please submit your accounts by emailing us. With your permission, we may share your volcano memories with others around the globe!

What year did Mt. Spur erupt? I was in Anchorage with my family and remember the eruption, but not the date.
The sky became very dark. My Mother-in-Law, who was visiting, said it looked like the skies in Oklahoma when they were expecting tornadoes. The men came home from work, using headlights because of the darkness. I covered my vegetable garden with newspaper to protect the plants. Later we were told the ash was wonderful fertilizer. This proved true, for the weeds in the yard, especially the front lawn, came up looking like bushes. The lawnmower could not even dent them. They had to be either pulled up, or removed by hand.
The dust in the houses was unbelievable, and kept coming back until the next winter.

Hello Eileen,
Mt. Spurr erupted in 1952 and again in 1992. Which year were you there?
Thank you for sharing your memories with us!
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After further correspondence, we learned that Eileen was in Anchorage for the 1953 eruption of Spurr. Ash from the 1953 eruption began about noon on July 9, 1953, and darkened the sky from 1 pm until 3 pm. Local air traffic was disrupted for two days, and increased electrical usage during the darkened day caused electrical switchboards to be overloaded.

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