We know more now about why volcanoes erupt and how they relate to earthquakes and tsunamis than the people who lived through these experiences. But it turns out we can still learn some useful things for our own lives by looking back at what happened.

As you read, try to imagine what it would have been like to be there — back in time, with no cell phone or computer — deciding what to do and where to go, when the Earth started to move and the sky went black.