Several of the deaths from the Mount St. Helens volcano in 1980 were attributed to inhalation of ash.
Volcanic ash can contaminate water supplies, cause electrical storms, and collapse roofs.
An erupting volcano can also trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, rockfalls, and mudflows. These explosions can kill by impact, burial, or heat. They have been known to knock down entire forests. The majority of deaths attributed to the Mount St. Helens volcano were a result of lateral blast and tree blow-down. The chance of eruptions that could damage populated areas is the greatest for the active volcanoes of Hawaii and Alaska.