Living with volcanic risk in the Canary Islands

Key rules

• Alert levels: The Canary Islands use four volcanic alert levels: green, yellow, orange and red.
• Evacuation: When officials order an evacuation, you leave.
• Insurance: Volcanic cover through the state insurance body works only if you hold a home insurance policy in force.
• Rebuilding: After La Palma in 2021, rebuilding and rehousing took years.

How volcanic danger is signalled

The Canary Islands use four volcanic alert levels: green, yellow, orange and red. Each level triggers a set of actions, from preparation up to evacuation.

• Green: no activity, or normal background activity.
• Yellow: slight signs of unrest or a rise in activity.
• Orange: significant unrest. An eruption could come within days or weeks.
• Red: an eruption is imminent or under way.

The level is declared on the technical advice of the national geographic institute and a scientific committee. The level can differ from island to island and changes over time. Tenerife, for example, has been at yellow since 2022 because of unrest. Yellow does not mean an eruption is coming. Check the current level for your island on the websites of the geographic institute and the regional government before you commit to a home.

The emergency plan

The regional government runs a special civil protection plan for volcanic risk. Island and municipal plans sit under it. The plan covers:

• monitoring of the volcanoes;
• the alert levels above;
• evacuation zones fixed in advance;
• shelters and assembly points;
• public warnings through 112 Canarias and ES-Alert, the alert that arrives on your phone.

Your part is simple. Follow official instructions and leave when told to. Ask your town hall which evacuation zone and assembly point apply to your address.

Not every island carries the same risk

Tenerife is usually seen as the highest risk, because of its large population and the Teide–Pico Viejo volcano, which has shown unrest at times. La Palma has erupted most often recently (1949, 1971 and 2021). Lanzarote last erupted in the 1800s. El Hierro had an undersea eruption in 2011–12. Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura have low activity, and La Gomera is regarded as extinct.

What happened to homes in La Palma in 2021

The eruption ran from 19 September to 13 December 2021. It destroyed about 1,600 buildings, roughly 1,300 of them homes. It buried around 1,200 hectares of land and forced about 7,000 people out at its peak.

Help came in several forms: payments for lost homes, public purchase of homes, and emergency aid from the state and regional governments worth several hundred million euros. Rehousing used temporary housing, new builds and purchases of existing houses. Rebuilding was slow. Many families were still waiting years later.

Insurance decides how well you are covered

The Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros is a state body that pays for damage from "extraordinary risks". Volcanic eruptions are on that list, along with floods and earthquakes. It pays only if you have a home insurance policy in force, because the extra charge for this cover is added automatically to that policy. It pays what your insurer would not, up to the sum insured, and a deductible may apply. You can claim from it directly or through your insurer.

There is no cover if the policy has lapsed, if premiums are unpaid, or if you have no policy. Without insurance, you depend on government disaster aid. That aid is discretionary, so nobody can promise it.

If you buy or rent, keep your home insurance paid and read the policy for exclusions, deductibles and the insured sum.

What to watch out for

• No insurance means no automatic cover: If your home has no home insurance policy in force, or the policy has lapsed or premiums are unpaid, the CCS pays nothing. Your only option would be discretionary government aid after a declared emergency. Keep a home insurance policy active and paid. Check the exclusions, deductible and insured sum in your policy.

• Ignoring an evacuation order: Volcanic emergencies run under the regional emergency plan, with evacuation zones, shelters and assembly points. Staying behind when an evacuation is ordered puts your life at risk and slows rescue work. Find out your evacuation zone and assembly point. Follow official instructions, and watch 112 Canarias and ES-Alert messages.

• Assuming all islands carry the same risk: Tenerife has the highest risk because of its population and the Teide–Pico Viejo complex. La Palma erupts most often. Fuerteventura is the least active. Buying or renting without checking can leave you exposed. Before choosing a home, check the current alert level and hazard information for that island with the Canary Islands volcano monitoring bodies (IGN or INVOLCAN).

• Expecting fast rebuilding after a disaster: After La Palma 2021, reconstruction was still slow years later, and many families waited a long time for new homes. Plan for a long period of temporary housing, and keep copies of your policy and property documents somewhere safe.

Frequently asked questions

Does home insurance cover a volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands?

Yes, but only if you have a home insurance policy in force, because the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros (CCS, the state insurance fund) covers volcanic eruptions as an extraordinary risk. The CCS surcharge is added to your premium automatically.

What help is there if my home has no insurance and is destroyed by a volcano?

Without a policy, your only route is government disaster aid, which is discretionary. It is available if the area is declared seriously affected by a civil protection emergency. After La Palma 2021, aid included payments for lost homes and public purchase of homes.

How many homes were lost in the 2021 La Palma eruption?

The 2021 La Palma eruption destroyed about 1,600 buildings, roughly 1,300 of them homes. About 7,000 people were evacuated at the peak.

Which Canary island has the highest volcanic risk?

Tenerife is considered to have the highest volcanic risk, because of its large population and the Teide–Pico Viejo volcanic complex. La Palma has erupted most often recently, in 1949, 1971 and 2021. Fuerteventura is the least active, and La Gomera is regarded as extinct.