It's chaos here in Puyallup, Washington. The lahar sirens are going.

[Aristus]

Although I'm pretty sure Mount Rainier isn't erupting.

First responder sirens are everywhere.

The New Year fireworks started five hours ago.

It's as if 2018 wants to go out as horrible as it came in...

[love_katz]

1. Wishing you a happy New year, Aristus.

And I really do hope that Mt. Rainier is NOT erupting!

[Aristus]

2. Hey, love katz!

Haven't seen you in forever!



Happy New Year to you, too!

[love_katz]

6. Been very busy with work.

I'm very glad to have today and tomorrow off. I am quite happy to spend the evening in with my cat. Fireworks are going off here too, but at least no one has set off 911 lahar sirens. The weather service did issue a warning for freezing fog and icy roads and sidewalks which were wet from the rain. I expect Emergency responders will be busy later tonight when the parties break up.

[cilla4progress]

3. Hey, Aristus -

this was 3 minutes ago. What's up?

[Aristus]

4. It's calmed down a little now, thank goodness.

I'm going to have a couple more drinks, and then hit it...

Happy New Year, cilla...

[cilla4progress]

5. Thanks,

backatcha!

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

7. What are lahar sirens?

[DRoseDARs]

9. Lahars are volcanic Walls of Death. Pyroclastic ash mixed with mud and debris. Flashflood but worse.

If you see one bearing down on you, it's already too late. Get uphill and fast. Don't climb a tree or go upstairs in a building, that just means you die slower as they'll both get knocked down taking you with. Higher ground is the only escape.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Thank you.

[Aristus]

10. I live on the Puyallup River floodplain.

If Mount Rainier erupted, melting millions of metric tons of glacial ice, the resulting lahar would wipe out everything downstream to the mouth of the river in probably less than fifteen minutes.

Every weekday at noon, they test the warning sirens that would go off in case of an eruption. Sometimes it sounds like a bombing raid is on its way...

[Adsos Letter]

8. You're in Puyallup?

I was stationed at Ft. Lewis back in the early 70's. Rainier is beautiful.

[Aristus]

11. Fort Lewis was my father's last duty station before he retired. 1979-1981.

My all-Southern family loved it here so much, we decided to stay.

[samnsara]

12. WELL HELL my dtr lives in orting was this a NY thing or what?

[In_The_Wind]

14. Well ... Happy New Year!