Volcanic eruption declared over
More than three months of destruction

Scientists officially declared the outbreak on the Spanish island of La Palma over on Saturday. This enabled the islanders to breathe a sigh of relief almost 100 days after the Cumbre Vieja volcano began to spit out lava, rocks and ashes and shook the lives of thousands of people.
After its eruption on September 19, the volcano suddenly came to rest on Monday, December 13, but the authorities, wanting to avoid false hopes, only gave the all-clear on Christmas Day.
"What I want to say today can be said in just four words: The eruption is over," said the regional security chief of the Canary Islands, Julio Perez, at a press conference on Saturday.
During the eruption, lava had poured down the mountainside, swallowing homes, churches, and many of the banana plantations that make up nearly half of the island's economy. Although property was destroyed, there were no deaths.
Maria Jose Blanco, director of the National Institute of Geography in the Canary Islands, said all signs suggested the energies of the outbreak had been exhausted but did not rule out a future reactivation.
Around 3,000 houses were destroyed by the lava, which now covers an area of 1,219 hectares - the equivalent of around 1,500 soccer fields - according to the final results of the rescue services.
Most of the 7,000 people evacuated have returned home, but many of the houses that are still standing are uninhabitable due to the ash damage. Since many roads are blocked, some plantations can only be reached by sea.
The German couple Jacqueline Rehm and Jürgen Doelz were among the evacuees. They left their rented house in the village of Todoque and moved on their small sailboat for seven weeks.
"We couldn't save anything, no furniture, none of my pictures, everything is now under the lava," said Rehm, 49, and added that they would move to nearby Tenerife after Christmas.
"I'm not sure it's really over. I don't trust this monster," she said.
The roar of the volcano, which constantly reminded us of the eruption, has subsided and the islanders no longer have to wear umbrellas and goggles to protect themselves from the ash, but the gigantic cleanup has only just begun.
The government has pledged more than 400 million euros ($ 453 million) to rebuild, but some residents and businesses have complained that the funds are slow to arrive.





