Iceland is contending with immense natural forces, according to the country’s president. Lava erupting from a volcano in southwest Iceland has decimated multiple homes in the evacuated town of Grindavik. The president portrayed this destruction as merely the beginning of a tough period of upheaval on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
The volcanic system in this region has been dormant for an extended period but has now become active once again. Icelanders can expect more seismic activity and its impacts as this volcanic system continues to awaken after its long slumber. The president cautioned that this is likely just the start of Iceland’s struggle with the tremendous power of its volcanoes.
Authorities had ordered the evacuation of the fishing town Grindavik, home to 3,800 people about 30 miles southwest of Reykjavik, hours before the volcano erupted for the second time in under a month on Sunday morning. Geophysicists said the eruption slowed considerably overnight but it’s unclear when it might end.
Emergency workers had built defensive barriers around Grindavik after the nearby Svartsengi system erupted in November following almost 800 years of dormancy. This prevented much of the new lava from reaching the town. There are no reports of deaths but a worker is missing after reportedly falling into a crack created by the volcano.
Iceland averages one eruption every four to five years due to its location above a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic. The most disruptive recent eruption was Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, which spewed ash clouds that grounded transatlantic flights for months. This new eruption is not expected to release large ash clouds into the air or impact airport operations.
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