Life in the Land of Lava

I'm getting close-up reports from the scene of a volcanic eruption:

Here's a text message with a first-hand account of the situation in Jogjakarta:

"Ya my representative at Jogjais closes coz hot air n make skin burn many2 kambing dead n the tree ar burning. People try for run away can not coz the tool frm BMG ar not function so many people dont get information. im very sad."

To translate from English-nesian, the employees closed the store because there is a hot wind that is burning people's skin. A whole lot of goats are dead. People want to evacuate, but the warning and information system from the geological service is not functioning, and many people are not getting the necessary information on evacuation routes and efforts. In other words, the situation in Jogja is becoming more and more grave. The volcano is about 45 miles outside the city of Jogjakarta (about 600 miles southeast of Jakarta), so if residents are getting burned by super hot winds in Jogja, then you have to think things are pretty dire.

I got a later message saying that the ash cloud had reached Bandung, which if the volcano were in New Orleans, the ash has reached Beaumont and presumably will get to Jakarta at some point.

I'm working on direct word from Anak Kerakatoa, which is a more direct threat to us here in Jakarta. I have felt some small tremors, but nothing major so far; just little tickle vibrations in my gut and ripples in the water glass.

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The reports from HalfPastHuman have pointed to a major toss-up around the Ring of Fire for some time. There are warnings out for over 20 volcanoes in Indonesia. Three volcanoes have erupted in Sumatra and Java in the past month and a half. The number of quakes around the Pacific Rim have been numerous and sever (Chile) over the past year of so.

Basically, it's pretty darned exciting here. The electo-magnetic effects of the volcanoes are causing severe weather as well. There have been wild storms in the area, including deadly flash floods in the past two days here in Indonesia. In Jakarta yesterday, there was a wild thunderstorm that included heavy winds that sounded, for intents and purposes, like tornadoes.

I, and a good number of other folks that I know, are taking precautions, such as buying extra water, non-perishable foods and face masks. Short of flying boulders and lava lakes, I'm pretty much ready for what may come.

Something's happening here, Mr. Jones. Just trying to figure out what it is...