Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Destroys 26 Homes In Eruption

As lava continues to spew over 200 feet into the air, homes in Kilauea’s path continue to be destroyed.  The number of homes destroyed by lava shooting out of openings in the ground created by Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has climbed to at least 26, and five other structures have also been destroyed.

Authorities have told CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV that Hawaiian officials say ten fissures have opened since Thursday and some of the more than 1,700 people who evacuated prepared for the possibility they may not be able to return for quite some time. “I have no idea how soon we can get back,” said Todd Corrigan, who left his home in Leilani Estates with his wife Friday as lava burst through the ground three or four blocks from their home. They spent the night on the beach in their car and began looking for a vacation rental to stay in for a longer term.

On Saturday, Amber Makuakane said she received alerts from her security system that motion sensors throughout the house had been triggered. She later confirmed that lava had covered her property. Makuakane, who 37 years-old, a teacher, and single mother of two, said her three-bedroom house in Leilani Estates was destroyed by the lava. Her home was across from one of the fissures that opened Friday, when “there was some steam rising from all parts of the yard, but everything looked fine,” Makuakane said.

Leilani Estates, where Corrigan, Mukuakane, and their families resided is a subdivision in the mostly rural district of Puna and is still at the greatest risk. But some residents have returned to the area affected by that lava flows.

According to CBS News, Hawaii County civil defense administrator Talmadge Magno said at a Sunday news conference that some residents did indeed go back to the area. He also stressed that anyone returning should wear a mask to reduce chances of breathing in any contaminants. Officials also warned about wearing the right masks, with a warning posted online.

Magno told CBS News correspondent Carter Evans it’s not known how long the volcanic activity will continue. “That’s the sad part about it,” Magno told Evans. “It could be happening for a long time, or on the other hand, like I said, mysteriously it could just end,” he said. “Unfortunately we are up to 26 residences taken out; There’s no sign of things slowing down,” Magno said earlier Sunday.

Hundreds of small earthquakes continued to rumble through the area Saturday, one day after a magnitude-6.9 temblor hit. That earthquake was the largest one to hit Hawaii in more than 40 years. Magma moving through Kilauea set off the earthquakes, said geologists, who warned of aftershocks.

 

Hawaii On Volcano Watch After Hundreds Of Earthquakes Spark Eruption Fears

Hawaii is on volcano watch after a series of earthquakes struck the island in less than 72 hours.  Hundreds of quakes were reported before the Kilauea Volcano was put on watch as a volcano that could potentially erupt.

The Kilauea Volcano is located in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which has since closed off nearly 15,700 acres due to “the possibility of a new eruption and unstable geologic activity.” But most of the park remains open, according to a statement released by the park.

Officials are now keeping a very close watch on the Kilauea volcano, which is one of the world’s most active while residents in the area are being urged to prepare an eruption and review emergency plans in case of evacuation, warned the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency on Wednesday.

According to CNN, since Monday, hundreds of earthquakes (most of them around a 2.0 magnitude) have been recorded in the area. The series of earthquakes came after a collapse of a crater floor of Puʻu ʻŌʻō, which is a volcanic cone in the eastern rift zone of the Kīlauea Volcano.  Since that fateful collapse on Monday, about 250 earthquakes were reported in the area stretching into Tuesday evening, according to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Status Report.

The tremors have been going on for days now, causing residents to fear an imminent eruption. Many residents have been reporting nearly constant ground vibrations in some areas. “It has now become unnerving,” Carol Shepard, a resident, told CNN affiliate KHON. She said the flurry of earthquakes seemed to happen every minute. “It’d be like the house would shake. It’d be like somebody that weighs 300 pounds came in my living room, and jumped up and down,” she said.

Although it’s impossible to determine if, let alone when an eruption would occur, scientists felt it was necessary to warn residents of the volcano’s recent activity.

The US Geological Survey said no steam or heat were seen escaping through the cracks. They added that the cracks were small, only about several inches across. These cracks are appearing from “deformation of the ground surface due to the underlying intrusion of magma,”  which is the molten rock that is underground, according to the agency.

“An outbreak of lava from the lower East Rift Zone remains a possible outcome of the continued unrest,” according to USGS in a Wednesday night update. “At this time it is not possible to say with certainty if or where such an outbreak may occur, but the area downrift (east) of Pu’u ‘Ō’ō remains the most likely location.”