Residents Leave as Aleutian Volcano Rumbles to Life

Rattled residents began leaving the Aleutian island of Akutan as its volcano rumbled to life, setting off a series of small earthquakes that broke water pipes and cracked walls.

The quakes appeared to have slowed by Friday morning, but people who remained behind kept a nervous eye on the cloud-shrouded mountain. Authorities stopped short of evacuating the town, which stands just eight miles from the volcano.

Tremors occurring every two or three minutes Thursday indicated that the volcano could erupt any time within the next few days with little or no warning, said Terry Keith, the scientist in charge at the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage. It’s just as possible that the mountain could go back to sleep and nothing more will happen, she said.

At least one quake measured 4.7, she said. The strength and frequency of the quakes are an indication that thick, gooey lava is cracking the ground as it works its way up through the volcano, Keith said.

Akutan, about 800 miles southwest of Anchorage, is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutians, with low-level eruptions every couple of years, Keith said. Low clouds have prevented residents from seeing if the volcano is venting ash or steam.