Skip to main content

Germany readies volcano outbreak measures

By WTOP Staff

BERLIN (AP) — Germany has put a specialized aircraft and a network of laser measuring stations on stand-by in case Iceland’s Bardarbunga volcano erupts.

The transport ministry says the measures are designed to swiftly determine the threat to airline traffic from ash spewed into the atmosphere by an eruption.

Germany’s transportation minister, Alexander Dobrindt, said Thursday that the laser measuring stations can detect ash concentration up to an altitude of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles).

The 2010 eruption of volcano Eyjafjallajokul in Iceland caused some 100,000 flights across Europe to be cancelled because officials worried the ash could damage jet engines.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Emergency guide: What you should do to prepare for emergencies

By WTOP Staff
WASHINGTON — Do you know what you'd do if an emergency hits? What if you're at work, your spouse is stuck in traffic and your children are in school? There's no way to plan for every emergency, but you can make sure you're prepared for different scenarios, including making a plan for your family and building a kit of emergency supplies.
Read Next Story

Related News

More than 200 sickened aboard Baltimore cruise ship

Unsafe in any freeze: Some 4WD vehicles have major limitations

Common mistakes for home buyers, and sellers