Scientists are warning that three Washington towns could be devastated within minutes if a massive volcanic mudflow suddenly tears down Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier, deemed the most dangerous volcano in the US, threatens more than 60,000 residents living in its lahar danger zone.
Lahars are fast-moving volcanic mudflows capable of obliterating entire communities, even without an eruption, when water rapidly mixes with loose rock, ash and debris on a volcano’s slopes.
Scientists warned that landslides, heavy rainfall, melting glaciers or even small earthquakes could destabilize part of the volcano, unleashing a torrent of mud, rock and debris down surrounding river valleys.
Former Cascades Volcano
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