Spain: Teneguia volcano on La Palma erupts Sept. 19, prompting evacuation of hundreds of people from threatened areas /update 1

Event

The Teneguia volcano, located on La Palma, Canary Islands, erupted Sept. 19. Authorities have activated Emergency Level 2 (i.e., red traffic light, the highest level on a four-tier scale, generally indicating that a volcanic eruption poses significant risks and necessitates evacuations) for the municipalities of Tazacorte, El Paso, Fuencaliente, Villa de Mazo, and Los Llanos de Aridane; lava flows are directly affecting the municipalities of El Paso and Los Llanos de Aridane. Officials have evacuated hundreds of people from threatened areas, including from the municipalities of Los Llanos de Aridane, El Paso, Fuencaliente, and Tazacorte. Thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in the vicinity of the volcano since Sept. 11.

Officials have ordered residents to avoid the vicinity of the volcano and have closed parts of the LP-105, LP-212, LP-214, and LP-301 routes. Officials have also advised drivers to avoid sections of route LP-2 between the intersection of Campo de Lucha de Las Manchas and El Sombrero in Tajuya, as well as routes LP-212 and LP-213. Ashfall may reduce visibility and cause hazardous driving conditions.

While authorities had not closed La Palma's airspace as of around 17:55 Sept. 19, Spain's air navigation manager ENAIRE has recommended that no flights depart to La Palma. Significant flight disruptions are possible at La Palma Airport (SPC), located 7 km (4 miles) south of Santa Cruz de La Palma, if winds direct ash clouds in the general direction of the airport.

As of Sept. 19, no casualties have been reported as a result of the volcanic activity. Additional eruptions could cause low-level seismic activity, ash clouds, and landslides, as well as prompt further evacuations, in the surrounding area over the coming days.

Advice

Plan for possible transport disruptions if operating near Teneguia. Avoid areas near the volcano. In the event of a large eruption, use facemasks and observe other precautions to avoid ash inhalation. Monitor local media for updates and confirm flights to and from SPC if volcanic activity intensifies.

Resources

Instituto Volcanologico de Canarias, INVOLCAN (Spanish)
Gobierno de Canarias (Spanish)