I think the Hilo closures were due to the 6.9 earthquake Friday, not the lava flow. There may have been others, but for Hilo I’ve only seen the U of Hawaii’s Hilo campus and the Ka Umeke Kaeo charter school. The Kamehameha Schools Hawaii campus closed, but that’s in Keaau, outside of Hilo.
I am seeing a few Hilo public schools initiated early dismissal after Friday’s quake. One thing to remember is that Hilo has had so many people wiped out by tsunamis over the years, that they err on the side of caution when it comes to earthquakes. After the gigantic Boxing Day 2004 tsunami in Asia, they were saying you have to have at least a 7.5 quake for a tsunami, but better safe than sorry.
They do, but are best appreciated from a distance - say, a mile or more from your house and yard.
Up close, they have the appearance (and when fresh, approximately the smell) of an out-of-control asphalt factory.
you do, indeed. like the people who keep building in Miami.
Nah, the wife and I were clambering over some old lava flows in this very area two months ago. Otherworldly.
Meanwhile, a photographer who has become world famous filming Kilauea for decades stands to lose his home to this flow.
And tourism operators have been issuing pleas after tons of cancellations from people who had been planning to vacation in places like Waikiki or Maui. Seems people, like the wife’s family in Bangkok, are worried the entire state is in danger.
EDIT: The number of fissures has risen to 12.
i think my house is quite close to Mangosteen’s … that 6.9 quake was pretty horrifying, but very little damage at my home.
A friend with a pottery studio in Kurtistown says a lot of his stuff was destroyed. 
What a welcome to Hawaii! I’ve been here for a few weeks at a time since 2002 when we bought our house, but just arrived to live here for real on May 2.
BTW Mangosteen - now that I’m becoming an official Big Island resident, I’m going to be doing some things, musical and otherwise, with the East Hawaii Cultural Center. We will be needing people interested in learning about an amazing Javanese musical tradition. If you or anyone you know has a musical curiosity streak, please fee free to be in touch via PM. (I’d PM you, but you have Pm notifications turned off.)
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This occurred to me: In 2016 we vacationed in Puerto Rico. A year later, the island was wiped out by a hurricane. Last October, we vacationed in Pahoa. Half a year later, the Pahoa area is being covered with lava.
Where should we take our vacation this year?
I visited Hawaii with some family in early March. We all stayed in Kauai for a few days, near Poipu beach. Then some of us went for a few days near Hilo, Hawaii. Since then:
–Kauai’s north shore had 50 inches of rain in 24 hours, causing massive flooding.
–A shark attacked a surfer off Poipu beach.
–Lava about 8 miles from where we were staying south of Hilo.
We either timed the trip well, or we missed a lot of cool stuff. I’m not sure which.
Washington DC?
Let’s see. Who do I really dislike?
Two more fissures for a total of 14.
They thought about sacrificing a virgin, but you can’t find those in Hawaii.
I heard this morning that lava was threatening another subdivision near Leilani Estates, but they didn’t say what or where it is. So… Where is it?
This is where we rented the house, which looks safe but is not that far away from Leilani Estates.
Lanipuna Gardens.
ut the state’s County Civil Defense Authority said it was too dangerous for Lanipuna Garden residents to return.
Lanipuna Gardens sits in the Pahoa district just north of Leilani Estates.
In a statement issued on Sunday at 5.30pm local time (4.30am BST) the Civil Defence Authority added: “This is not the time for sightseeing. You can help tremendously by staying out of the area.”
map of fissures Kīlauea - Maps | U.S. Geological Survey
For those of you living on the big island, how does homeowner’s insurance work if you’re near the volcano? Can you even get insurance? If so, does it cover such immense destruction? Or are you pretty much on your own?
We were on Hawaii around 1990 before the big flows started up again. I thought the landscape in the national park was just amazing. Seeing the images on the news should make us realize we’re really prisoners of our environment. (Some PBS show had a neat line: all life on earth is dependent on “geology” of some sort!)
My sympathies if you or your homes are affected.
There is no “lava” insurance, but many people have standard home (fire) insurance. So if the lava comes near your house and starts a fire that eventually burns your home, then you can make an insurance claim to your insurer. This claim will be valid even if the lava covers your house after the fire. In other words, you better have the whole event on video or your insurer is going to dispute your claim.
The island is broken down into lava zones. Zone 1 and 2 are areas where volcanic activity is quite likely to occur in the not too distant future. Insurance for homes in these areas is not cheap, but a few companies do provide it. Many people can’t afford it and do without. Land prices in these areas are cheap and most people don’t spend a lot when they build a home. There is a quite strict building code across the entire island and in order to get insured, one needs an official occupancy permit from the county. Many people live in unpermited homes and as long as you keep you head low, you usually can get away with it. The county usually only responds to complaints, so its important to get along with your neighbors. Lots are quite large commonly 1 to 3 acres, so you don’t live on top of other people. In zones 3 and up, lava is unlikely. My home is in zone 8.
Thank you Mangosteen, that’s very informative. I hope you stay safe, but I bet it’s an “exciting” time to be there.
Ripon, Wisconsin.
I’ve searched for a video like this and couldn’t find it. Link, please?
Here is one; about 33 seconds in.
