Share to ClassroomScientists Say Rainier Most Dangerous Volcano
Scientists say Mount Rainier in Washington is the most dangerous volcano in the US. The biggest danger is not lava. It is a lahar (a fast flow of rock, mud, and water) . A lahar can move at over 100 miles per hour. It could hit three towns in 30 minutes.
Lahars do not need an eruption. Heavy rain or a broken dam can start one. Rainier has 25 big glaciers. They hold more ice than all other Cascade volcanoes together. So even a small melt can cause a huge lahar. The mud can travel over 50 miles.
In 1985, a lahar in Colombia killed over 23,000 people in minutes. So scientists watch Rainier with special sensors. Two years ago, 45,000 students joined a big practice. They learned to run uphill on foot to stay safe.
