The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance after the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985 that killed 23,000 people. The program responds to selected volcanic crises around the world, to assist in saving lives and property and to reduce economic losses.
When Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and U.S. Geological Survey had monitored the volcano. With the help of the Volcano Disaster Assistance Program's crisis-response team, about 75,000 people and US$250 million to $375 million worth of equipment were evacuated before the major eruption.
Famous quotes containing the words volcano, disaster, assistance and/or program:
“It would be idle to say that we were not, from time to time, aware that a volcano slumbered fitfully beneath us. There were dark sides to the Slavery Question, for master, as for slave.”
—Marion Harland (1830–1922)
“The opposition is indispensable. A good statesman, like any other sensible human being, always learns more from his opponents than from his fervent supporters. For his supporters will push him to disaster unless his opponents show him where the dangers are. So if he is wise he will often pray to be delivered from his friends, because they will ruin him. But though it hurts, he ought also to pray never to be left without opponents; for they keep him on the path of reason and good sense.”
—Walter Lippmann (1889–1974)
“But a problem occurs about nothing. For that from which something is made is a cause of the thing made from it; and, necessarily, every cause contributes some assistance to the effect’s existence.”
—Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109)
“Deacon King was tried for violating the Sabbath, and so hot was the debate that it was referred to the church council, which ultimately decided, after long and grave debate, that the deacon had committed a ‘work of necessity and mercy.’”
—For the State of Massachusetts, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)