00:06There is a volcano in America that scientists fear could cause one of the deadliest natural
00:12disasters in the country's modern history. Not because it's the biggest, not because it's erupting,
00:19and definitely not because of lava. In fact, the most terrifying thing about this volcano
00:26is that it doesn't even need to erupt to become a catastrophe. Right now, more than 90,000
00:33people live in areas that could be directly impacted if part of this mountain suddenly
00:39collapses. And if that happens, a massive torrent of mud, rock, ice and debris could thunder down
00:47its slopes at speeds approaching 50 miles an hour. Fast enough to destroy neighborhoods,
00:53fast enough to bury roads and bridges, fast enough that some communities may have less
00:59than an hour to escape. And the mountain we're talking about? It's not Yellowstone. It's not
01:05Mount St. Helens. It's Mount Rainier, one of the most closely watched volcanoes on Earth.
01:20Over the last few weeks, Mount Rainier has once again found itself at the center of viral headlines.
01:26Stories began circulating online, suggesting unusual activity beneath the volcano. Some reports pointed to
01:34tremors. Others hinted at possible warning signs. And naturally, one question began spreading everywhere.
01:42Is Mount Rainier about to erupt? The answer, according to the United States Geological Survey
01:49and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, is no. Rainier remains at normal alert status.
01:58No eruption warning has been issued. No evidence suggests magma is rising towards the surface.
02:04No significant ground deformation has been detected. In short, scientists are not warning about an
02:12imminent eruption. But here's the thing, that doesn't actually make this story any less concerning.
02:19Because the reason experts worry about Rainier isn't necessarily what comes out of the volcano.
02:25It's what comes down from it.
02:34To understand why Rainier is different, you need to understand the mountain itself.
02:40Standing more than 14,400 feet tall, Mount Rainier dominates the Washington skyline.
02:47But what makes it unique isn't its height, it's the ice.
02:52Rainier contains more glacier ice than any peak in the lower 48 United States.
02:58Massive glaciers wrapped around the volcano. Millions of tons of snow and ice cover its slopes
03:04year-round. Now, combine that with steep valleys, loose volcanic rock, underground heat, flowing water,
03:12and centuries of geological instability. What you get is the perfect setup for a disaster most people have
03:20never heard of. A Lahari.
03:29Imagine mixing together water, volcanic ash, boulders, trees, ice, mud, entire chunks of a mountain.
03:39Now, send it racing downhill at highway speeds. That's a lahar. Scientists often compare them to
03:46flowing concrete. Except concrete doesn't destroy everything for miles. Historically,
03:53Lahars at Rainier have traveled at speeds approaching 50 miles per hour. They can flatten forests, destroy
04:00bridges, rip apart roads, and bury entire areas beneath massive amounts of debris. The truly frightening
04:09part, they don't always require an eruption. Many people assume a volcano has to explode before disaster
04:17strikes. That's not necessarily true. Sometimes, all it takes is part of the mountain collapsing.
04:24Gravity does the risk. And Rainier has a history of exactly that.
04:37Around 500 years ago, Mount Rainier produced what scientists now call the electron mudflow.
04:45Researchers believe a large section of weakened rock collapsed from the volcano. The resulting lahar
04:52surged down river valleys for dozens of miles. And here's what's unsettling. Many modern
04:59communities in western Washington now sit directly on top of deposits left behind by ancient lahars.
05:06The evidence is literally beneath their feet. Think about that. Entire neighborhoods exist today
05:13because previous mudflowers reshaped the landscape centuries ago. The mountain has already shown us what
05:20it's capable of. The question isn't whether lahars can happen. The question is when the next major one will.
05:35This is why Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in America. Not because of
05:42what sits on the mountain, but of who lives below it. According to Hazard assessments, more than 90,000
05:50people live inside potential lahar zones. Thousands more work there every day. Schools, businesses, factories,
05:58major highways, railroads, power infrastructure, entire communities all located downstream.
06:07And unlike many natural disasters, there may be very little time to react. Depending on where a collapse begins,
06:15some communities could have less than an hour before large lahar arrives. For those closest to the volcano,
06:23the timeline could be even shorter.
06:32So what happens if a major lahar begins tomorrow? Scientists wouldn't be completely blind. For decades,
06:40Rainier has been monitored by one of the most advanced volcanic warning systems in North America.
06:46Sensors track earthquakes, ground movement, gas emission, and even the movement of debris flows.
06:52If a major lahar is detected, emergency alerts can be transmitted almost immediately.
06:59Sirens sound, officials activate emergency plans, schools begin evacuations, entire communities move
07:07towards higher ground, but warning systems only by time. And time is the only thing a fast-moving lahar
07:16that doesn't give much off. Right now, Mount Rainier is quiet. Scientists are not wanting an imminent
07:23eruption. The volcano remains under normal monitoring status. But the reason experts continue watching
07:31it so closely has never changed. Rainier is a mountain built for one specific type of disaster. A disaster
07:39powered by gravity, ice, water, and time. The next major threat from Mount Rainier may not begin with an
07:46explosion. No fire, no ash cloud, no dramatic Hollywood eruption. Just a mountain moving downhill.
07:55And if that day comes, it could become one of the most destructive volcanic disasters modern America has ever seen.
08:09A T-C-Z-C-Z-Stars is after a several hit in an earthquake.
08:10but you can't go in with a small storm. It's a small storm. It could also be an ice storm.
08:11And then there's a calm storm. It could be a storm. It's an escape storm.
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