Human consequences
Islands covered in ash and coastal villages destroyed by the tsunami.
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VolcanoHunga Tonga eruption
6Deaths
Not quantifiedDisplaced / homeless
$90MEstimated cost
- 4 deaths in Tonga and 2 drownings in Peru caused by the tsunami.
- About 90 million dollars, nearly 20% of Tonga’s GDP (World Bank).
The explosion of this undersea volcano is the most powerful recorded since Krakatoa. Its pressure wave circles the Earth several times and triggers tsunamis as far as the Atlantic.
Consequences
Environmental consequences
A 57 km volcanic plume, the highest ever observed, injects record amounts of water vapour into the stratosphere.
Economic consequences
The severed undersea cable cuts the country off from the Internet for several weeks.
Political consequences
International aid is delivered “contact-free” to protect the archipelago, then free of COVID-19.
Reach of the eruption
- Peru · waves and oil spill at Ventanilla
Further reading
Similar disasters
- Eruption of Mount St. HelensVolcano · United States1980
- Eruption of Mount PinatuboVolcano · Philippines1991
- Lake Nyos disasterVolcano · Cameroon1986
- Armero tragedyVolcano · Colombia1985
In the rankings : The deadliest volcanic eruptions No. 10
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