Ash is soooo messy. Mount St. Helens ash was light, any breath of air or a passing car raised a cloud. And, the ash doesn't like to go away. Rain will cause it to settle until it dries then the ash begins to blow around again. The trees harbor the ash for years - shake a tree and cover yourself with ash.
One of the problems is that a volcano doesn't erupt often during one's lifetime - Thank Heavens! We didn't have a clue how dangerous the ash was and what to do about living with it. How much of a problem it would be for our machinery, etc.? For years after, you could recognize a Mt. St. Helens car by the damage to the windshield. I wonder if you can recognize the damage to our lungs.
The best thing to do is to move before it erupts - if that isn't in the cards, just "hunker down" as long as possible. The timing couldn't be much better - indoors with gray snow and rain falling may be tolerable in January & February. We benefited from an unusual and blessed rainy Summer in 1980.
I don't suppose there could be a more self-sufficient group of Americans than those found in Alaska - probably well-stocked for Winter storms. Don't be fool-hardy - there are no "points" to be gained by braving something like this. One may as well walk out into the desert in a dust storm.
Our prayers should be that there is little ashfall. It is amazing how nasty the stuff can be.
Steve