[SevenDaysInMay]

The estimated maximal blast (blown flat) zone is ~50-100 mile radius, including out of our atmosphere to rain down over the entire planet - perhaps more than a fortnight of night in nuclear Winterville. This is a monumental issue to ponder and for which to prepare meekly one's family pantry.

Picture dead, gray Moon-scapes, utterly dead zones of hundreds of square miles if not nearly a 1,000,000 square miles, a ~550 mile radius.

100 mile radius is I-15, I-94, and the NW corner of Wyoming.

200 mile radius is half of Idaho I-15, Montana, and I-25, I-80 in Wyoming.

300 mile radius is nearly all of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and to Salt Lake City.

400 mile radius is to Canadian 1 in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Spokane, Battle Mt., NV, I-70 with most of Utah, through Denver, and western Nebraska and both Dakotas.

500 mile radius is to Calgary, half of Washington, Oregon, Nebraska and both Dakotas, nearly all of Colorado to Pueblo, Utah, and nearly to Reno and Las Vegas.

600 mile radius, also with a potential building crushing, animal choking kill zone from ashfall, is the area within I-35, I-40, to California's Central Valley, to the Pacific including all of Oregon and Washington, Vancouver, Edmonton, and southeast to Manitoba.

The jet streams push ash more east than blast blown west, south more than north so these radii are for illustration.

Earth's "ash" is very fine, consider cement dust and much finer - re: asphyxiation without masks, many masks each. If mixed with water as ash often is as it falls, picture your house/apt. or office holding up under a rain of wet cement, inches or several feet of it - 6 feet or more. Picture your house's roof completely covered with 90# bags of dry cement, just add water. Will your roof's slope shed the sticky goo? Unlikely. Very unlikely. Roof and/or wall structural failure is nearly certain given the size of the eruption.

A common snow & wind loading design of 50#/sq.ft. would fail with only a few inches of wet ash.

Geologic records show us that more than 6 feet of ash has fallen a long way from Old Faithful in previous eruptions. I don't have those data here tonight.

Forget being saved by neighbors or outsiders, because with such rural country and a few cities of millions, victims from an eruption only a few minutes in duration, you are on your own. Ash destroys internal combustion engines, especially aircraft. There will be total darkness for days on end - globally. There can be no resupply, except in rare instances.

This event will be global, weather and some regional climate changes certain, at least for years if not decades. The Northern Hemisphere's food and fiber production will suffer greatly if not stop for a season. Famine of Biblical scale is certain.

All rivers and watersheds will change. Ash mud/slides will make terra firma not.

This eruption horror would also invite islamists, China , South america, and EU celebrate the end of the USA as we knew it.

Be aware and prepare with life-or-death survivalist know-how. Survivors can always use luck, but significant caches of food, water, tools, temporary shelter, and Faith help. The Bible teaches 7 years.

We are a bit overdue.

Whenever this eruption happens, the civilization of North America will never be the same. The western United States to the Mississippi River will be a solemn burial ground.

[Loose_Cannon1]

600 mile radius, also with a potential building crushing, animal choking kill zone from ashfall, is the area within I-35, I-40, to California's Central Valley, to the Pacific including all of Oregon and Washington, Vancouver, Edmonton, and southeast to Manitoba.

Psst, Mexico, have I got a DEAL for you on California! Still want it back? Why are you looking at me that way? It's just a little ash, it can be cleaned off. Look--it blows away!

[EUPHORIC]

Whenever this eruption happens, the civilization of North America will never be the same. The western United States to the Mississippi River will be a solemn burial ground.

Pity we cannot just build a VERY LARGE containment and a VERY LARGE pipeline and convey this mess to some place far more deserving then America.

I am sure we can all think of some worthy recipients...

[oceanperch]

Heavy Dude.

I was able to totally invision that as I read along with your post.

So much for having the O2 tanks I have stored for Emergencies.

[Johnny_Cipher]

This eruption horror would also invite islamists, China , South america, and EU celebrate the end of the USA as we knew it. Be aware and prepare with life-or-death survivalist know-how. Survivors can always use luck, but significant caches of food, water, tools, temporary shelter, and Faith help. The Bible teaches 7 years. We are a bit overdue.

Can we safely assume then that the Britney Spears' "In the Zone" concert tour would definitely be postponed? And, will TicketMaster honor rain checks?

[Travis McGee]

I guess I'll hang onto my steel sailboat for a while! I wonder how the sunsets will look on Bora Bora?