A stockpiling frenzy has swept across parts of Alaska as nearly 300,000 residents brace for a potential eruption of Mount Spurr, located just 81 miles from Anchorage.

With memories of the 1992 eruption still fresh, locals are rushing to buy everything from tape to seal windows and doors, to goggles, earplugs, N95 masks and essential supplies like food and water.

Cloe Turner, a resident of Eagle River, spent $415 at Costco loading up on groceries, batteries, protective gear, and pet food.

‘We might not be able to work, and stores might not open,’ she said. ‘The last time something like this happened, the city was blanketed in ash for an entire month.’

The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) said on Friday that ‘volcanic unrest persists,’ citing about ’55 earthquakes over the last week.’

Officials say the increased seismic activity is a sign magma is rising beneath Mount Spurr, causing stress and cracking in the surrounding rock.

Fearful Alaskans have since taken to social media to share their preparations ahead of the looming natural disaster.

One Anchorage resident, who posted on TikTok under the alias @FreezeDrySociety, said she rushed to Walmart to get ‘weird and random’ items to help protect her family from the toxic ash. 

Cloe Turner, a resident of Eagle River, spent $415 at Costco loading up on groceries, batteries, protective gear, and pet food

‘We might not be able to work and stores might not open,’ Turner said. ‘The last time something like this happened the city was blanketed in ash for an entire month’

‘So a volcano is supposed to erupt in Anchorage, Alaska. Am I prepared for said volcano? No. I’m here at Walmart today buying all of the things that I need to protect me from volcanic ash pouring all over the city,’ the user said while walking inside a Walmart store.

‘Some of these items are so weird and random, but they serve a genius purpose, people are very clever when it comes to this stuff.’

The freeze-dry food influencer said the first ‘unusual’ item she grabbed was a roll of blue Painter’s Tape, ‘to seal up any drafty areas’ inside her home. 

She can be seen grabbing several pairs of swimmer’s goggles off the shelves to ‘protect our eyes’ in the event anyone in her household ‘would have to be outside while ash is falling.’

Volcanic ash can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause more serious health issues for people with asthma, other forms of lung disease and severe heart problems, according to the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN). 

The dehydrated food enthusiast also grabbed silicone ear plugs, Ziploc bags, washcloths, binder clips, pantyhose, rubber boots and N95 face masks. 

The Ziploc bags she said are for her phone and other small tech devices to help mitigate any possible ash intrusion. While the washcloths, coupled with the binder clips, are supposed to be placed over interior car air vents to ‘hopefully catch ash and prevent it from getting into the inside of your car.’

The pantyhose, a purchase which the influencer said ‘seems so random,’ will serve a similar purpose to the washcloth as she said ‘putting the pantyhose over your air intake valve in your car’s engine will help filter out any ash that gets inside of there.’

One Anchorage resident, who posted on TikTok under the alias @diy_freeze_dry, said she rushed to Walmart to get ‘weird and random’ items to help protect her family from the toxic ash

While massive stockpiling efforts continue to sweep the frigid US state, others have issued stark warnings for those located inside the toxic ash zone. 

‘I saw a post circulating on Facebook yesterday and it had some tips and tricks I haven’t seen before so I wanted to share them with you,’ another user posted on TikTok. 

‘If you wear contact lenses you need to remove them immediately when [the volcano] erupts’ the user, @our.alaskan.adventure warned, adding that ‘the ash will tear your eyes up.’

The worry-stricken user also issued advice for dog-owners in the affected area, warning followers to ‘put swimming goggles on their eyes, cotton balls in their ears and rinse their paws in water before bringing them back inside.’

She also urged locals to ‘drive under 20 miles per hour’ if they need to drive in the time during and after the eruption stating that ‘driving slower will result in less damage to your car.’

Over the last year, Mount Spurr has been experiencing increased seismic activity, ground-surface displacement and gas emissions, all of which are signs of an impending eruption.

Seismic activity near Mount Spurr kicked off in April 2024, and in October, the rate of quakes increased from an average of 30 per week to 125 per week.

In a Tuesday update experts at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) wrote: ‘Unrest continues at Mount Spurr volcano. Seismicity remains elevated with occasional small, shallow volcanic earthquakes detected beneath the volcano over the past day.’

Scientists warn Mount Spurr in Alaska could erupt within the next few weeks or months. It last erupted in 1992 (pictured)

‘AVO continues monitoring activity at Mount Spurr for signals indicating that the volcano is moving closer to an eruption.’

Since the beginning of the month, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has detected hundreds of small tremors within a 30-mile radius of the volcano.

On April 2, a larger magnitude 3.7 quake struck near Petersville at 11:44am, about 30 miles north-west of Mount Spurr. This quake hit 65 miles below the surface — an earthquake depth that would typically be associated with tectonic plate movement.

But since Mount Spurr is showing other signs of unrest, it’s possible that this quake was linked to magma rising from deeper in the Earth’s mantle. Scientists estimate an eruption could happen in the next few weeks or months.

In addition to continuous seismic activity, Mount Spurr began releasing elevated levels of gas from its summit crater and a side vent on March 7.

The emissions combined with the earthquakes and ground deformation has put scientists on alert.