Alaska residents cleaning up Redoubt ash

ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 30 (UPI) -- Residents of south-central Alaska say they're mopping up a soggy gray layer of ash from the latest volcanic activity at Mount Redoubt.

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport reopened Sunday with many flights canceled or delayed and schools were open Monday as usual, the Anchorage Daily News reported.

The ash, which spread across the region Saturday, was being held in place by wet melting snow which helped to improve air quality Sunday, said Steve Morris, a spokesman for the city of Anchorage.

Pedestrians and cyclists were advised to stay away from roads where car tires were kicking up wet ash and people cleaning ash from their drives, walkways and cars were advised to wear a face mask or damp bandana around their noses and mouths. Morris also advised against using a leaf blower for cleanup. "It just moves (ash) from the ground into the air," he said.

Redoubt began erupting March 22, but the ash cloud that floated across the region Saturday was the first to reach Anchorage, Alaska's biggest city.