Scenes From the Ground: Sorsogon in the Aftermath of Bulusan's Phreatic Eruption
At around 10:37 a.m. on Sunday (June 5), Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon experienced a phreatic eruption that covered surrounding towns in ashfall. This is Bulusan’s first eruption since 2017. The province of Sorsogon has been placed under Alert Level 1, but outgoing Sorsogon Governor Francis "Chiz" Escudero said that the province will not declare a state of calamity.
In a press conference on Monday morning, Escudero said that the province still has the funds to deal with the calamity as it is the first of 2022. The local government is still processing the damage assessment report, with Escudero advising residents who have not been evacuated to remove ashfall from their roofs to prevent structural damage.
“Napagdanaan na namin ito, alam na namin ang dapat gawin,” explained Escudero.
Here’s a visual timeline of Bulusan’s 2022 phreatic eruption:
Bulusan Volcano at 5:00 a.m.
Bulusan Volcano at 10:37 a.m.
Bulusan Volcano at 11:31 a.m.
The phreatic eruption lasted 17 minutes from 10:37 to 10:54 a.m. Immediately after, residents dealt with thick ashfall, which now coats the surrounding towns’ buildings and crops. Here’s what Sorsogon looks like in the aftermath.
Coast Guard Sorsogon facilitated evacuations of heavily affected towns.
Roads, rivers, and trees are blanketed in ashfall.
Cars are covered in gray ash.
Wet ashfall coats the roads, creating slick, gray mud.
Sorsogon firefighters attempt to wash ash off the roads for drivers' safety.
Crops are expected to experience damage due to the heavy ashfall.
Residents are advised to wear face masks outside as ashfall poses health hazards.
Governor Chiz Escudero visited 173 individuals who evacuated to Tughan Elementary School in Juban to give out emergency kits.
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