Mount Redoubt

Mount Redoubt erupted a lot of times today. It was shooting out more than 12 mile high that could drop ash on Anchorage for the first time since the volcano began erupting Sunday night. The Alaska Volcano Observatory saidd the first eruption about 8:30 a.m. A second eruption about an hour later sent ash 65000 feet high. The largest eruption caused a mud flow into the Drift River near the base of the volcano. Before Thursday's eruptions the volcano had been very quiet for more than a day. Prevailing winds are supposed to carry ash from the larger eruption east across Cook Inlet toward some of Alaska's larger communities. An ash fall advisory for the western Kenai Peninsula covers the towns of Kenai. Alaska Airlines canceled all flights to and from Anchorage until sunrise Friday. All planes at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage were placed in shelters or moved to other bases. Ash poses a significant threat to aircraft engines. The National Weather Service also issued a flash flood warning for the Drift River near the volcano. Eruptions can cause snow and ice to melt on the mountain. This can be resulting in flooding along the river that drains from the mountain. The mud flows also have littered the airport.