A Valid Excuse for Tardiness: Sorry, but the Mountain Had Not Finished Erupting Yet
I hadn't done much to my NaNoWriMo project this year.
Last night, after high volcanic activities since Wednesday afternoon 3 November 2010, Merapi released another big eruption.
Half an hour after midnight, Friday 5 November 2010, 00:30 am +0700GMT, the volcanic low guttural rumbles could be heard from our place within the Keraton area, the central of the ancient city Yogyakarta. We are 30 km away from the mountain.
Yogyakarta city was washed down with volcanic ash and sand. This time it's worse than the volcanic ash rain on pre-dawn Saturday 30 October 2010.
Two out of three rivers flowing through the city had been filled with volcanic mud since Thursday evening, 4 November 2001. Warnings had been given since Wednesday that the people living at the riverbanks should be aware for flood plains possibilities. The warnings had been repeated every single day. Mud water debit with debris had made the river rose to a high level. Several bridges up hill are in critical condition.
Yogyakarta city had been declared to be in Alert Condition since last night. This means, people must prepare themselves for evacuation. Evacuation itself will only be started once the city is declared to be in Critical condition.
As I said, I am worried about people panicking.
Next, am worried about the dogs. Pet animals and cattles are usually get left behind :(
The volcanic ash rain this morning is actually nothing than what happened to refugee camps in Klaten, East to Merapi, and to the town of Muntilan, West to the Merapi. Both places are within the radius of 20 km danger zone, which was declared yesterday evening, after the previous day it was widen to 15 km from 10 km. In Muntilan it rained mud and sand all day and night and the electricity was cut off due to fear of complications. In Klaten, refugee camps were flooded with water they had to stay up all night, standing up, cramped inside the camps as more refugees kept coming down in search for safer places.
Refugees are still being evacuated from villages and previous camps. The process could be followed through the twitter account @jalinmerapi,which deploys tens of volunteers all over the affected areas for live reports and updates. So far this is the best way to keep updates of the situation compared to watching TV or following individual twitter accounts reporting LIVE from the field. Several TV stations had panicky field reporters who had contributed nothing but creating mass panic on several occasions.
Panic is not good in times like these :( I hope I won't be panicking.
13:30 Last update that broke my heart: the pyroclastic cloud emitted this morning reached 11.7 km from the mountain. It happened during an evacuation effort. Death tolls are rising :(
So what I do now, is to wait.
Last night, after high volcanic activities since Wednesday afternoon 3 November 2010, Merapi released another big eruption.
Friday, 5 November 2010, 09:00 WIB. The water lilies bloomed despite of the volcanic ash.
Friday, 5 November 2010, 09:00 WIB. Rats footprints. They had been a nuisance since before the eruption.
Friday, 5 November 2010, 09:00 WIB. You probably can't see it, but the roof is gray-ish covered with ash. That's Beka in his victorian collar, trying to tell me he wanted to play.
Half an hour after midnight, Friday 5 November 2010, 00:30 am +0700GMT, the volcanic low guttural rumbles could be heard from our place within the Keraton area, the central of the ancient city Yogyakarta. We are 30 km away from the mountain.
Yogyakarta city was washed down with volcanic ash and sand. This time it's worse than the volcanic ash rain on pre-dawn Saturday 30 October 2010.
Satuday, 30 October 2010, 09:30 WIB. Not as thick as today.
Satuday, 30 October 2010, 09:30 WIB. My footprints. I had watered the ash off the grass as you could see it's green.
Two out of three rivers flowing through the city had been filled with volcanic mud since Thursday evening, 4 November 2001. Warnings had been given since Wednesday that the people living at the riverbanks should be aware for flood plains possibilities. The warnings had been repeated every single day. Mud water debit with debris had made the river rose to a high level. Several bridges up hill are in critical condition.
Yogyakarta city had been declared to be in Alert Condition since last night. This means, people must prepare themselves for evacuation. Evacuation itself will only be started once the city is declared to be in Critical condition.
As I said, I am worried about people panicking.
Next, am worried about the dogs. Pet animals and cattles are usually get left behind :(
The volcanic ash rain this morning is actually nothing than what happened to refugee camps in Klaten, East to Merapi, and to the town of Muntilan, West to the Merapi. Both places are within the radius of 20 km danger zone, which was declared yesterday evening, after the previous day it was widen to 15 km from 10 km. In Muntilan it rained mud and sand all day and night and the electricity was cut off due to fear of complications. In Klaten, refugee camps were flooded with water they had to stay up all night, standing up, cramped inside the camps as more refugees kept coming down in search for safer places.
Refugees are still being evacuated from villages and previous camps. The process could be followed through the twitter account @jalinmerapi,which deploys tens of volunteers all over the affected areas for live reports and updates. So far this is the best way to keep updates of the situation compared to watching TV or following individual twitter accounts reporting LIVE from the field. Several TV stations had panicky field reporters who had contributed nothing but creating mass panic on several occasions.
Panic is not good in times like these :( I hope I won't be panicking.
13:30 Last update that broke my heart: the pyroclastic cloud emitted this morning reached 11.7 km from the mountain. It happened during an evacuation effort. Death tolls are rising :(
So what I do now, is to wait.
Comments