Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano, erupted again on November 24th and showered the island of Sicily with sharp volcanic rocks and heavy ash. The force of the eruption was strong enough to push the material hundreds of kilometers across the Strait of Messina towards the Italian mainland.
Perhaps most remarkable, however, was the response of the residents of Sicily to the volcanic downpour.
Although those less accustomed to Etna’s outbursts might have remained safely beneath their roofs, many townspeople chose to walk the streets, umbrellas in hand.
“None of us were scared because Etna always reminds us of its presence,” said Italian filmmaker and Sicily native Turi Scandurra to MailOnline. “Sometimes you can hear it thundering and your windows vibrating – even the doors inside the house shudder.”
Scandurra captured and uploaded a surreal video documenting a number of scenes from the event. Dark waves crash against beaches covered with black rock and elderly women perform the seemingly Sisyphean task of brushing back the ash coating the streets from the entryway of their houses.
Despite the surreal visuals, the eruption on the 24th caused no evacuations and no serious damage has been reported. Etna’s eruptions have however occasionally been known to be more serious. The lava flows of the 1992 eruption led to evacuations.
Via YouTube Trends
CORRECTION: Mt. Etna was previously referenced incorrectly as the tallest volcano in Europe. Mt. Elbrus is taller, while Etna remains the tallest active volcano.
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