After 37 years of silence, an El Salvador volcano violently roared to life Sunday.

Chaparrastique volcano sent a cloud of ash miles into the sky forcing the evacuation of nearby villages.

President Mauricio Funes said in a televised address that government officials cannot guarantee the mountain will not erupt again and has ordered a mandatory evacuation of all residents within two miles of the mountain.

The eruption started around 10:30 a.m. local time and the column of ash reached a peak about 3 miles high.  The international airport in San Salvador had to redirect flights to other airports.  Multiple flights had to be cancelled.

The volcanic ash rained down on coffee fields for miles further damaging the country’s major crop.  Farmers have been fighting in infestation of leaf rust that has hampered crop yields.