On Nov. 13, 2023, the village of Grindavik located in Iceland was evacuated due to a possible volcanic eruption. Hundreds of earthquakes were caused by magma shifting underground. Additionally, the possibility of full destruction of the town has already created fear in the townspeople as the event resembles a repeat of what happened in 2010 with global travel coming to a halt as a result of ash in the air.

Volcanologist John Smellie stated that to try to guess when the eruption will happen is like guessing,” how long a piece of string is.”

The town of Grindavik is around 40 km (20 miles) southwest of Iceland’s capital. Iceland sits above a hot spot expected to erupt every 4-5 years.

Meteorologists stated,” The likelihood of an eruption remains high.”

Some homes in Grindavik have already been damaged due to the constant earthquakes. Authorities plan to use water to divert and cool the lava. To protect the fishing port with 4,000 people. On Iceland’s southern Reykjanes Peninsula.

Iceland is home to 33 active volcanos, the highest count in Europe experiencing an eruption every 4-5 years or expecting one.

The 2010 Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption was among the most disruptive in recent years. It also resulted in airlines losing about 1.7 billion USD as they had to cancel more than 100,000 flights.

The thousands of tremors have caused damage to homes, roads, and golf courses. All roads to the town have been closed. The roads are only open for emergencies. Many people enter the town for their pets and most important belongings.

No fatalities came up from the eruption though there were some massive effects from this eruption. The air quality in the area was greatly dropped due to the toxicity levels of the eruption cloud. However, there were high irritation levels due to this. Not as much lung disease as expected. The cloud created a darkness in the area.

Let’s hope the volcano eruption of Fagradalsfjall never comes, and the town Grindavik, and the Blue Lagoon remain safe.