The energy of the eruptive system of the La Palma volcano continues to show a downward trend in recent days, Although it will not end in the short term, the spokesperson for the scientific committee of the Canary Islands Volcanic Emergency Plan (Pevolca), María José Blanco, has warned this Tuesday.
Blanco has indicated at a press conference that there is a decrease in all parameters, especially seismicity, soil deformation and the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2), which this Tuesday was between 3,000 and 3,500 tons, but that trend is “slow” and they need to continue decreasing to “reach levels Lower”.
When asked if the volcano is extinguishing, Blanco has answered that “at some point, yes,” and added that at the moment it is “in a more stable process and a lower level of activity”, but “in the short term the system, the eruption will not end”.
The only thing observable to predict how much the volcano has left that has worsened in recent hours is the tremor rebound.
That, and the high concentrations of SO2, while the direction that the ash cloud can take could affect the La Palma airport, as it already happened earlier this Tuesday.
▶ ️ 33 earthquakes. Depths at 10-15 km and> 30 km
▶ ️ Highest magnitude today 1:01 UTC: 3.8 mbLg at 38 km
▶ ️ Volcanic tremor low values
▶ ️ GNSS stations: elevation stays lower
▶ ️ Column height 8:45 UTC: 3,000 m👉https://t.co/OtgTt9OYSk pic.twitter.com/V4NCuSGH0t
– IGN-CNIG (@IGNSpain) November 16, 2021
The strips grow
Regarding the progress of the flows, the technical director of Pevolca, Miguel Ángel Morcuende, has detailed that there have been fillings in the 2, in an intermediate zone between the 1 and the 9, and an advance of the front of the 9, which has caused the surface of the lava delta to rise to 41.99 hectares, 1.09 more than on Monday.
The maximum width between castings has increased to 3,200 meters and scientists have been able to “clearly” verify the contribution of lava tubes, Morcuende pointed out.
There are 480 people housed in hotels, plus another 43 dependents distributed in different social health centers on the island.
The damaged buildings, according to data from the Cadastre, are 1,462, of which 1,181 are homes, 152 for agricultural use and 67 for industrial use, among others.
In terms of agricultural area, there are 305.59 hectares, 10 more than yesterday, most of them banana trees.
# EMSR546 #RashLaPalma #OldCum
Our #RapidMappingTeam has released its 5⃣1⃣st updated map
It is based on @ASI_spazio COSMO-Skymed 🛰 radar imagery
As of 13 Nov. at 18:44 UTC:
▶ ️Extent of the lava flow: 1,024.4 ha (+5.5 ha in ~ 36h)
▶ ️2,618 destroyed 🏠 buildings (+2) pic.twitter.com/urPTOYd3dh– Copernicus EMS (@CopernicusEMS) November 14, 2021
Caution in ash cleaning
Miguel Ángel Morcuende has asked again that precautions are taken when cleaning ash, especially when the work is done at height, to avoid accidents.
He has also insisted on asking that physical activity be avoided outdoors, that FFP2 masks be used and that people with pathologies do not leave the house, especially in Los Llanos de Aridne, where there are microparticle concentration spikes in the central hours of the day, the more traffic there is and the more the ash is cleaned.
As for SO2, he has indicated that in recent days there have been “significant levels” of concentration within the evacuated area, which prevented access by El Charco for cleaning work or for irrigation of farms, although the situation has improved in the last hours.
The combination of ash and rain – weak precipitation is expected in the next few hours – worries about the danger of collapse of greenhouses.
To the right of the La Palma volcano we can see one of the ash eddies that are taking place in the last hours due to the winds and the amount of ash expelled in the last hours. pic.twitter.com/JMjMbMXZOk
– 🏳️🌈Rubén López 🇪🇸 (@rubenlodi) November 15, 2021
That is why the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Government of the Canary Islands, Alicia Vanooestente, has insisted that the first thing is the health of the workers, their safety.
Vanoostende has recalled that the economic losses that are a consequence of the non-commercialization due to the volcano will be compensated and that the damages due to the fall of greenhouses due to the ash effect are also covered.
At the institutional level, the president of the Cabildo de La Palma, Mariano Zapata, has recognized that “60 days is too long to be out of our homes”, more for those who have lost them under the lava and urge a solution, but he has ensured that all administrations work “at maximum speed.”
Speaking to the media after receiving the Canarian Parliament Board, Zapata stressed that during this time the town councils and the Cabildo have delivered emergency aid at “a level never seen before”, and that are quantified in more than 700,000 euros.
He has also referred to the delivery of 5 floors, plus another 12 soon, in addition to the imminent acquisition of another 72, when “the usual”, he said, is that it takes a decade to deliver a social promotion.
Zapata has insisted that “there are many days” of waiting for those who have lost their home, but has demanded “that the speed” with which all administrations are working be valued.
Employment plan
Secondly, The Government will allocate 63 million euros to the development of an Extraordinary Plan for Employment and Training to face the consequences of the volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma.
The Council of Ministers approved this Tuesday the agreement that authorizes the State Public Employment Service (SEPE) to grant a subsidy of these amounts from the Agency’s budget, according to information provided by the Government.
The objectives of the Plan will be specified through the Canarian Employment Service with actions that allow the strengthening of professional guidance in the affected areas for both companies and workers “through actions and measures of information, accompaniment, orientation and advice, including psychological support, that is necessary, through a unit of Socio-Labor Attention “.
The #CMin authorizes the granting of a subsidy to @empleo_SEPE of 63 million euros to the Canary Islands for the development of an Extraordinary Employment and Training Plan to face the consequences of the volcanic eruption on the island of La Palma. pic.twitter.com/59nII5Euid
– La Moncloa (@desdelamoncloa) November 16, 2021
It also pretends support and advise on the reorientation of the most affected business activities and develop actions to maintain the jobs of specific sectors or groups most affected by the emergency situation.
Likewise, plans will be developed that allow the acquisition of training and professional experience aimed at the recovery of the affected environments, actions that allow the requalification of the affected people so that they can direct their work careers towards new economic activities.