Overall Green Volcanic eruption for Fuego
in Guatemala

Event summary

GREEN alert: The Fuego Volcanic eruption may have a low humanitarian impact, based on the magnitude of the eruption, the exposed population and its coping capacity..

GDACS ID VO 1000069
Name: Fuego (342090)
Lat/Lon: 14.47 , -90.88
Event Date: 05 May 2023 UTC
Exposed Population 30km: About 1230000 people within 30km
Exposed Population 100km: About 8730000 people within 100km
Max Volc. Explosivity Index VEI: 4
Population Exposure Index PEI: 5
Inserted at: 05 May 2023 05:33 UTC

GDACS Score

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Virtual OSOCC
Meteo assessment
Satellite products
Analytical products
Guatemala - Volcanic eruption (ECHO 05 May 2023)Fri, 05 May 2023 10:38

  • On 4 May, Fuego volcano located on the borders of Chimaltenango, Escuintla and Sacatepéquez Departments (central-western Guatemala) erupted and the ash column reached more than 5,000 m above sea level that moved more than 35 km in a west-southwest direction as reported by the National Institute for Seismology, Vulcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology of Guatemala (INSIVUMEH).
  • According to the same source, ashfall was recorded in the communities of Panimache I, Morelia, El Porvenir, Finca Paloverde, Finca Asunción, Finca Santa Sofía and other nearby localities.
  • The National Coordination for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) is conducting emergency operations and carrying out preventive evacuations in the municipality of San Pedro Yepocapa, Chimaltenango, Panimaché I and II villages, El Porvenir and Morelia.
  • The activity of the volcano is weakening as registered by the INSIVUMEH.
Detailed event map. European Union, 2026. Map produced by EC-JRC.
The boundaries and the names shown on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the European Union.

Updates on volcanic activity (Smithsonian)

The Smithsonian/USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report provides information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Latest Fuego report has been published on 03 May 2023 10:13.
INSIVUMEH reported that a range of 5-14 weak and moderate explosions per hour were recorded at Fuego during 26 April-2 May. The explosions generated ash plumes, weak to moderate rumbling sounds, and shockwaves that vibrated the roofs and windows of nearby houses. Ash plumes rose 1.1 km above the crater and sometimes dispersed as far as 15 km S, SW, SE, and W. Ash fall was reported in Panimach? I and II (8 km SW), Morelia (9 km SW), Santa Sof?a (12 km SW), El Porvenir (11 km SW), Finca La Asunci?n, La Rochela (8 km SSW), Finca Ceil?n (9 km S), and San Andres Osuna. Incandescent material was ejected as high as 350 m above the crater almost daily. Weak and moderate avalanches descended multiple drainages including the Seca (W), Ceniza (SSW), Taniluy? (SW), Trinidad (S), Las Lajas (SE), Santa Teresa (ESE), and Honda (SE); sometimes reaching the edges of vegetation. In the evening on 27 April a weak-to-moderate lahar descended the Ceniza, a tributary of the Achiguate River, and consisted of fine-grain, hot material, branches, tree trunks, and blocks that ranged from 30 cm to 1.5 m in diameter. Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia (INSIVUMEH)
See the detail here

Estimated casualties (PAGER)

USGS estimates the number of casualties for each earthquake for the Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response (PAGER) product.
The graph shows the current fatalities estimate.

Exposed population

Data, images, links, services and documents

For this events, GDACS has links to information from the following sources: EC-JRC (31), INGV (2), DesInventar (1), WMO (1), INFORM (2), (1), JSR (1),