Nevado Del Ruiz 1985

Question 1

Key statistics of Nevada Del Ruiz

Answer 1

Magnitude: 3 VEI
Deaths: 23,000
Economic Cost: $1 Billion
Largest Lahar in history

Question 2

What factors influenced the impacts of the Nevado disaster?

Answer 2

• Government ignored experts advice and warnings to evacuate town of Armeno.
• Storm blocked view of pyroclastic flow.
• Heavy rainfall and meltwater caused lahar at 50kmh, bursting dam and wiping out Armeno in a few minutes.