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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Start with your local emergency and air-quality alerts. Volcanic conditions can change quickly, and the safest action may be to shelter, evacuate, or leave the affected area. Volcanic ash and vog are not the same hazard: ash is airborne particulate matter, while vog can contain sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and other volcanic gases. A particulate respirator can reduce ash exposure but does not protect you from SO₂.
When ash is falling, go indoors if authorities advise sheltering, close openings, and keep ash from entering heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment. For outdoor exposure or cleanup, use a NIOSH-approved N95 or equivalent particulate respirator, sealed eye protection, gloves, long clothing, and sturdy footwear. During vog, reduce outdoor activity, keep doors and windows closed when advised, use air-conditioner recirculation, and keep prescribed medicines available. Treat drinking water separately: visible ash contamination requires another source until testing, and roof-catchment water can become acidic in vog-prone areas.
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Know which hazard you are facing
The first decision is whether the immediate problem is ashfall, vog, or both. The controls overlap—limiting outdoor exposure and following official alerts—but the protection is different.
| Hazard | What it contains | What helps | What does not reliably help |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volcanic ash | Fine and coarse solid particles that can enter the lungs, irritate eyes and skin, reduce visibility, and contaminate indoor spaces | Staying indoors, closed windows and doors, a NIOSH-approved N95 or equivalent particulate respirator for outdoor exposure or cleanup, goggles, and damp cleanup methods | A cloth mask or nuisance dust mask as a primary control; dry sweeping; an N95 used as though it filtered gases |
| Vog | A mixture that can include volcanic particles and gases such as sulfur dioxide (SO₂) | Reducing outdoor activity, indoor shelter when advised, closed windows and doors, air-conditioner recirculation, prescribed medicines, and current local health guidance | An ordinary N95, cloth mask, or particle-only air cleaner as protection against SO₂ |
| Ash-contaminated water | Drinking water containing visible or suspected ash | Another drinking-water source until the water is tested and the supplier or health authority gives instructions | Assuming boiling or a household filter makes contaminated water safe without test results |
| Acidic roof-catchment water | Rainwater affected by vog that may leach metals from roofing and plumbing | Disconnecting catchment during ashfall and following local water-health advice | Assuming roof-catchment water is safe for drinking or food preparation in a vog-prone area |
Conditions differ by volcano, wind, rainfall, building, and jurisdiction. Use the local emergency-management, public-health, and air-quality instructions for your location over general advice.
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What to do when ash begins falling
1. Check alerts before choosing between shelter and evacuation
Check official alerts immediately and keep checking them. Authorities may designate different zones, recommend sheltering for a period, or order evacuation. Do not leave solely because ash is visible if an official order says to shelter, and do not remain because your home looks intact if an evacuation order applies.
Indoor shelter is usually the first protection from airborne ash. However, heavy or prolonged ashfall creates secondary hazards: wet ash is very heavy, can overload roofs, and can block outdoor-air intakes. A building can therefore become unsafe even while doors and windows are closed. Follow instructions about roof loading, ventilation, and evacuation rather than treating “stay inside” as an unlimited-duration rule.
2. Seal the occupied space
- Close windows and exterior doors.
- Close fireplace and woodstove dampers so ash is not drawn through the flue.
- Turn off heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment that brings in outdoor air, along with fans that could draw ash inside, unless local or equipment-specific emergency instructions require another setting.
- Close outside-air dampers where your system has them.
- Keep a room with the fewest openings available for people who need a cleaner indoor space.
Do not improvise by blocking a combustion appliance’s required air supply or creating a carbon-monoxide hazard. Follow the appliance manual and local emergency guidance if heating, cooking, or ventilation needs conflict with ash exclusion.
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3. Protect your breathing, eyes, skin, and feet
CDC’s current volcanic-eruption guidance (page dated August 25, 2026) says: “Wear a NIOSH Approved N95 respirator (also known as an ‘air purifying respirator’) to protect yourself while you are outdoors or while you are cleaning up ash that has gotten indoors.” Choose a NIOSH-approved N95 or an equivalent particulate respirator, and follow the manufacturer’s fitting and use directions. A good seal matters; facial hair, an incorrect size, damaged straps, or a poor nose seal can reduce protection.
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For brief outdoor exposure and for cleanup, add sealed goggles, long sleeves, long pants, gloves, and sturdy footwear. A nuisance dust mask is only a last resort and provides less protection. Disposable particulate respirators do not filter toxic gases or vapors. If you have asthma, COPD, emphysema, or another lung condition, avoid ash cleanup whenever possible and arrange for someone else to do it.
4. Avoid unnecessary driving
CDC advises avoiding driving in heavy ashfall. Ash can sharply reduce visibility, become airborne in a vehicle’s wake, clog engines and filters, and contribute to stalling. If driving is unavoidable, keep windows closed and do not run the air conditioner in an outside-air mode. Follow official road closures and do not drive into an evacuation zone.
Keep ash out of your home’s air
Control your HVAC system and filters
When ash is present, turn off heating and air-conditioning units and fans that draw outdoor air, and close windows, doors, fireplace dampers, and woodstove dampers. Replace disposable furnace filters frequently or clean permanent filters as the equipment instructions allow. A filter loaded with ash can restrict airflow; inspect it rather than waiting for a routine replacement date.
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Use portable air cleaning for particles only
A portable air cleaner designed for particulate matter can reduce airborne ash or vog particles in a closed room. It does not, by itself, remove SO₂ or other volcanic gases. Do not describe a HEPA or other particle filter as a gas scrubber unless the manufacturer provides product-specific, independently supported evidence for that gas and concentration.
Place a particle air cleaner in the room where people spend the most time, keep doors and windows closed, and maintain the filter according to its instructions. A cleaner cannot compensate for open windows, an operating outside-air intake, or a significant gas exposure. Hawaiʻi Department of Health guidance says the safest way to eliminate significant exposure to volcanic particulates, vog, or gases such as SO₂ is to leave the area.
Clean settled ash without putting it back in the air
Prepare before you disturb ash
- Check local instructions for whether cleanup should begin and how ash should be collected or disposed of.
- Keep people with asthma, COPD, emphysema, or other lung disease away from the work area. Children and anyone who cannot use a respirator correctly should not perform cleanup.
- Put on a NIOSH-approved particulate respirator, sealed goggles, gloves, long clothing, and sturdy footwear. For roof work, add a hard hat and use appropriate fall protection.
- Close nearby windows and doors and shut down equipment that could spread ash through the building.
Dampen first, then remove carefully
USGS advises dampening settled ash before cleanup because dry ash becomes airborne easily. Apply enough moisture to keep dust down without creating runoff that overloads a roof, enters electrical equipment, or damages surfaces. Do not dry sweep, use a leaf blower, or otherwise stir ash into the air. Work slowly and keep the respirator on until the area is clean and dust has settled.
Clean indoor areas before reopening them to outside air. Use damp methods that are safe for the surface and your equipment, and place collected ash according to local waste instructions. Do not shake dusty clothing indoors; remove contaminated outer layers where they will not spread ash and wash them as appropriate for the fabric.
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Treat roofs as a high-risk job
Ash is heavy, and a wet layer is heavier and slippery. Roof cleanup adds fall risk and can damage roofing. Avoid going onto the roof unless authorities or a qualified professional determine it is necessary and the work can be done safely. Do not trade respiratory protection for speed, and do not send someone with a lung condition onto the roof. Inspect roof loading and air intakes from a safe location and report structural concerns.
Vog requires a different plan
Why a particulate mask is not a gas mask
Vog can contain SO₂ and other gases in addition to particles. An N95, cloth mask, or similar particle respirator can reduce inhaled particles but does not protect against SO₂. Wearing an N95 for ash is still useful; it simply must not create false confidence during a gas episode. Hawaiʻi Department of Health guidance, including its December 2025 public-health release, does not recommend respirators for the general public as protection against volcanic gases.
Reduce exposure during a vog episode
- Follow current local air-quality and health alerts.
- Reduce outdoor activity, especially strenuous activity, when vog is present or authorities advise staying indoors.
- Close windows and doors during the affected period.
- Set air conditioners to recirculate rather than draw outside air, if that setting is available and safe for the equipment.
- Keep prescribed medicines accessible and use them exactly as directed.
- Keep children, older adults, pregnant people, and anyone with respiratory or heart conditions in the cleaner indoor space when conditions are poor, following their clinician’s advice.
Contact a medical provider if symptoms develop, worsen, or do not resolve after exposure. Severe or persistent breathing or other health symptoms require professional advice rather than a change of mask. If officials advise leaving, relocation is the most effective way to end significant exposure.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsCan an air cleaner remove vog or SO₂?
It depends on what the cleaner is designed to remove. Particle-focused cleaners can remove particulate matter in vog, according to Hawaiʻi Department of Health’s vog FAQ, but they are usually not effective against gases such as SO₂. Do not buy or rely on a particle cleaner as a substitute for reducing exposure, closing the building, or leaving an affected area. Gas removal requires product-specific evidence for the actual gas, airflow, concentration, and replacement schedule; no such performance should be assumed from a particle-only rating.
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Protect drinking water and rainwater catchment
When ash is visible in drinking water
If ash has entered drinking water, use another source—such as bottled water—until the water can be tested. Do not use the affected water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or preparing infant food unless your water supplier or public-health authority confirms that it is safe. Ask the supplier whether the problem is limited to your plumbing or affects the wider system.
Municipal and private supplies
Follow your water utility’s notice for municipal water. For a private well or other non-catchment source, ask the local health authority or water professional what sampling is appropriate after ashfall. Water that looks clear is not proof that it is unaffected, and a household treatment device should not be assumed to remove every volcanic contaminant.
Roof-catchment systems
USGS advises disconnecting downpipes feeding rainwater tanks during ashfall so fresh ash does not wash into the tank. Reconnect only when local guidance indicates that collection is appropriate and the roof and gutters have been managed safely.
In vog-prone areas, Hawaiʻi Department of Health warns that acidic catchment water can leach metals such as lead, copper, and zinc from roofing and plumbing materials. Its guidance generally does not recommend catchment water for drinking or food preparation for health and safety reasons. That recommendation is specific to Hawaiʻi’s conditions and should not be generalized to every location; consult your own water supplier or public-health authority for testing and use instructions.
Choose protection by task
| Situation | Recommended control | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Staying indoors during ordinary ashfall | Closed windows and doors; outside-air systems and fans off or adjusted as directed; local alerts monitored | Heavy ash can threaten roofs and block intakes, so shelter may not remain safe indefinitely |
| Brief outdoor trip during ash | NIOSH-approved N95 or equivalent particulate respirator, goggles, covered skin, and short exposure time | Does not protect against SO₂ or other gases |
| Indoor ash cleanup | Particulate respirator, goggles, gloves, long clothing, sturdy footwear, and damp methods | People with lung disease should avoid cleanup; dry ash must not be swept or blown |
| Roof inspection or cleanup | Professional or properly trained worker, particulate PPE, hard hat, and fall protection | Ash is heavy and slippery; avoid roof work unless necessary and safely planned |
| Vog with particle pollution | Indoor shelter, reduced activity, closed openings, recirculation, and a particle air cleaner if available | Particle filtration does not reliably remove SO₂ |
| Vog with significant gas exposure | Follow health alerts and leave the affected area if advised | An N95 is not gas protection |
| Ash in drinking water | Use a different source until testing and official clearance | Do not infer safety from appearance or boiling alone |
| Rainwater catchment during ashfall | Disconnect downpipes and follow local catchment guidance | Vog-related acidity and metal leaching require jurisdiction-specific advice |
Prepare before the next eruption
- Save local emergency-management, public-health, volcano-observatory, and air-quality alert channels.
- Keep NIOSH-approved N95 respirators in multiple sizes, and check that they are undamaged and within the manufacturer’s storage or use guidance.
- Store sealed goggles, gloves, long-sleeved work clothing, sturdy footwear, and replacement furnace filters.
- Know how to turn off outside-air ventilation, heating, cooling, fans, fireplace dampers, and woodstove dampers without creating another household hazard.
- Identify a room that can be closed off and stocked with medicines, water from a safe source, phone chargers, and essential documents.
- Make a plan for people with asthma, COPD, emphysema, or other conditions that make ash or vog more dangerous; include transport if leaving becomes necessary.
- If you use a rainwater tank, know how to disconnect downpipes and where to obtain testing advice.
- Plan for pets and livestock, which may also need shelter from ash and vog according to veterinary or agricultural guidance.
When to seek help
Get medical advice for new or worsening symptoms after ash or vog exposure, especially if you have a respiratory or heart condition. Keep prescribed medicines available, but do not change doses or substitute a respirator for medical treatment. Follow emergency instructions for severe symptoms, and leave the area if authorities identify significant exposure and direct residents to do so.
For household problems, contact the appropriate authority rather than guessing: your water supplier for contamination notices, public health officials for catchment testing and exposure guidance, emergency management for evacuation or roof-loading instructions, and a qualified HVAC or roofing professional for equipment or structural concerns.
Quick Recap
A simple decision sequence
- Check the alert. Determine whether officials say shelter, reduce activity, evacuate, or leave the area.
- Identify the material. Treat visible ash as a particle problem; treat vog as potentially involving both particles and gases.
- Close the building. Shut windows and doors and control outside-air intakes and dampers as directed.
- Match PPE to the task. Use a NIOSH-approved N95 and eye, skin, hand, and foot protection for ash exposure or cleanup; do not call it SO₂ protection.
- Prevent re-aerosolization. Dampen settled ash before cleanup and avoid dry sweeping, blowing, and unnecessary roof work.
- Protect water separately. Stop using visibly ash-contaminated water and disconnect rainwater downpipes during ashfall.
- Reassess. Watch for changing alerts, roof or intake hazards, symptoms, and instructions to evacuate or leave.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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