I've lived in Anchorage since 1975 and have seen at least 10 volcanic eruptions. The sky gets dark and ash falls. You don't fly airplanes when the ash is in the air. You clean your air filters on your vehicles after the ash subsides. If it is really bad you wash your gutters out after it's over. That's pretty much it.

I can still remember driving to work sometime in the late 80's during a moderate ash fall after an eruption and looking over at the guy in the car next to me. He had a respirator mask on! I thought WTF is this? Until that time I had never seen such a thing. I imagine if it were really bad a mask might be necessary, but really it's the same people who go nuts when someone smokes a cigarette within 100' of them that really freak out.

I think the only people "preparing" are those with severe respiratory problems, the hypochondriacs, the airlines, the vulcanologists and mostly and the press: "KILLER VOLCANO THREATENS YOUR BABY!"

Just a guess but I'm willing to bet that you're not a big fan of the BOFH Chronicles.

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Live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders & says..."Oh shit....he's awake!!"