Dominating the landscape, the great volcanic Popocatépetl and his bride Iztaccíhuatl, regally dressed in snow, overlook Mexico's fourth largest city, Puebla de Zaragoza, just 19 kilometers to the east. Not much farther away, Mexico City lies 65 kilometers to the northwest. Though Iztaccihuatl has long since been inactive, Popocatépetl's warm belly continually spews ash throughout the year. In December of 2000 Popocatépetl erupted and caused thousands to evacuate its slopes and the surrounding regions. Popocatépetl has not threatened another evacuation until now. Mexico's National Center for Disaster Prevention raised the alert level on April 17th of this year and maintained it since then at phase three, one level below code red.

Each plume of volcanic smoke reminds us to respect the power of nature. People living in the villages and small towns on Popocatépetl's slopes will need to evacuate if the volcanic activity intensifies. Though this is cause for concern, those who live on the volcano have proven to be resilient in the past. Many lost their homes before, but they have returned and rebuilt. They consider the volcano their home and will struggle with the mountain to keep their way of life.