On the Big Island. It’s been erupting continuously since 1983, but a new flow started this past week. I’ve been a little busy and so expected to see a thread when I logged on this morning, but none detected. So here it is.
The new flow, in the Puna area, seems a little unusual in that it is underground rather than above, so it could pop up anywhere. As of last night, 10 fissures or vents had opened, spewing lava and gas, but only a couple are spewing now, I think.
The wife and I were on the Big Island just two months ago and drove through this very area. Old lava is everywhere, including close to the town of Pahoa, which was almost covered in 2014 until the lava stopped just short, destroying I think it was only a single home. Pahoa reminds me a lot of Taos. It would remind me a lot of Santa Fe if it were bigger. Just short of 1000 population, it’s home to lots of old hippies and New Agers.
All of Puna is home to such really, and there are a lot of, for want of a better word, kooks. Survivalists and various types who desire to live without electricity or other utilities or phones or Internet or TV or radios, no nuttin’, so there is some concern about getting the word to these people that something is up, not to mention that mandatory evacuations of some areas are ongoing. To this effect, they did turn on the sirens a few days ago.
The new flow is already being referred to as the Leilani Flow, since it’s popping up mainly in the Leilani Estates subdivision. I feel sorry for those losing all their property, but they did know this was a possibility when they bought into the place. I doubt many if any are insured, because the premiums would be just to much.
Hundreds of earthquakes associated with the new flow have been recorded this past week, the strongest being 6.9 early Friday afternoon. That one they said could be felt here on Oahu and east of here on Kauai. I felt nothing, but I was at the time on the phone with someone here in Honolulu just blocks away from me who started freaking out while we were talking, because she definitely felt it. She was on an 11th floor though, so that may have factored into it. Tall building swaying, that sort of thing.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was shut down on Friday but not due to the flow. The park is huge at 333,000 acres. Earthquake damage and the possibility of poisonous gases were the reasons, but they’re deciding whether to reopen this afternoon.
We’re supposed to be back on the Big Island in late July, with friends coming from Thailand to celebrate they’re 25th anniversary plus his 60th birthday. We’ll be staying this time in the village of Volcano, near the park entrance, and this is an area that is not in any danger whatsoever, located miles away from the present action. Two months ago, the wife and I stayed in Hilo, and that town and the airport there are also safe (as is the island’s other major airport in Kona).
Lots of good lava updates on Hawaii News Now.
