Volcanic Ashfall
NOAA Storm Events type · 78 records since 2007 · 4 states and territories
The National Weather Service defines volcanic ashfall as: "Fine particles of mineral matter from a volcanic eruption which can be dispersed long distances by winds aloft, resulting in fatalities, injuries, damage, or a disruption of transportation and/or commerce." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 78 volcanic ashfall records from 2007 through June 30, 2026, the most in Hawaii (72).
How the National Weather Service files volcanic ashfall
Fine particles of mineral matter from a volcanic eruption which can be dispersed long distances by winds aloft, resulting in fatalities, injuries, damage, or a disruption of transportation and/or commerce. Beginning Time - When volcanic ash began to cause disruption to transportation, commerce, fatality, injury, or damage.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 51
Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).
Volcanic Ashfall, 2007 to 2026
Records per year (2026 to June 30, 2026).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $10 million
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- $10 billion or more, or 1,000 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 782007 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- –as filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Counties with a record
- 13of 3,266
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.
Where do volcanic ashfall records happen?
States
Counties
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).
When do volcanic ashfall records happen?
90% of its volcanic ashfall records since 2007 fell in May and June. The busiest month is June.
The values, month by month
Jan 1 · Feb 0 · Mar 1 · Apr 0 · May 34 · Jun 36 · Jul 4 · Aug 0 · Sep 1 · Oct 0 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
The most recent volcanic ashfall records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-24 | Volcanic AshfallHawaii County, HI · forecast zone Big Island East | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.