The catastrophic eruption of Mt. Vesuvius occurred on the afternoon of August 24, 79 AD. Vesuvius began spewing volcanic ash and stone thousands of meters into the sky. The prevailing winds at the time blew toward the southeast, causing the volcanic material to fall primarily on the city of Pompeii and the surrounding area. Since Herculaneum lay to the west of Vesuvius, it was only mildly affected by the first phase of the eruption but nonetheless prompted many inhabitants to flee.