Volcanoes are making news and we have some too!

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With the continuing eruption of the Kilauea volcano on the big island of Hawaii, where 27 homes have been destroyed, a news article about Oregon volcanoes got my attention. In 2001, scientists noticed an "80 square mile bulge of lava growing underground near South Sister Mountain in central Oregon." No further action (yet) but who knows? There are about 25 active volcanoes in Oregon and Washington. One, very near Portland, our largest city is a high priority site, though it could be a very long time before we see an eruption. Mount St. Helens, not far north of Portland, blew May 14, 1980, scattering ash across a dozen states. I live maybe 120 miles south of that volcano, was in my yard and heard the explosion. The northwest owes a lot of its striking features to volcanic activity, and in other parts of the US, tornadoes, and hurricanes pose hazards. The entire west coast is a big time earthquake zone. Our friends in the Philippines see volcanic eruptions and typhoons (India too). I guess we all live with potential hazards of some kinds, but we keep smiling and persist.