February 13, 2016 - HAWAII - Hawaii has declared a state of emergency in a move to fight and
prevent mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever and the Zika virus,
which the state’s governor called a threat to public health and
welfare.
“We are doing everything we can to be prepared, to
be proactive, to prevent vector-borne diseases here in Hawaii,” Gov.
David Ige said in a proclamation he signed Friday.
So
far, Hawaii has not seen cases of the Zika virus transmission, but it
is on standby following a decision by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) to put emergency centers on a Level 1 alert last
week.
But there is an ongoing outbreak of dengue fever at Big
Island, where there were more than 250 confirmed cases. One of the major
concerns now is that mosquitoes that can carry dengue fever also can
carry the Zika virus, which potentially puts the island at risk.
There are also flights between American Samoa, one of the Pacific islands affected by a Zika outbreak, and Hawaii.
“Hawaii Emergency Management Agency will be working with all the county mayors and the county civil defense coordinators to ensure that statewide we are ahead of the game and proactive in responding to vector-borne diseases,” the governor said.
The emergency proclamation means that Hawaii will have access to the Major Disaster Fund, granting it an option to acquire more funds to control outbreaks and waive certain laws and regulations if necessary.
"One of the things that this emergency declaration from the governor will allow us to do is that we can in fact enforce that we will come and take care of mosquitoes on a property that someone is refusing, because it is a public health emergency,” Virginia Pressler, director of the Department of Health said, AP reported.
In particular the authorities would be able to use insecticides on private property, regardless of an owner’s objection.
According to Pressler, understaffed due to financial problems, the state’s health regulator is now searching to hire more medical workers and scientists with the newly released funds from the governor.
Gov. Ige has said the state will begin to survey the community to verify the particular mosquito species and determine their locations. Then it will work out and implement plans for their “management, eradication and treatment,” he said. - Hawaii.
February 9, 2016 - BIG ISLAND, HAWAII - The
mayor of Hawaii's Big Island declared a state of emergency on Monday to
deal with a growing outbreak of dengue fever, spread by infected
mosquitoes, with 250 cases confirmed over the past four months.
As a result of Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi's order people on the Big Island will be allowed to resume disposing of old tires in landfills, since tires which are left lying around are a known breeding spot for mosquitoes.
There have been 250 confirmed cases of dengue fever on the island since Oct. 29, making it the largest outbreak in the state since the 1940s, according to the mayor's declaration and Hawaii health officials.
Dengue fever causes flu-like symptoms and can develop into the deadly dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Hawaii Governor David Ige said in a statement he supported the efforts on the Big Island but would not issue a statewide emergency declaration unless the outbreak spread to other islands or expanded to include other diseases, such as the Zika virus.
Zika is spreading rapidly in South and Central America and the Caribbean and has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil.
WATCH: Dengue Fever Press Conference.
Last month, a baby born with brain damage at a hospital in Oahu, Hawaii, was apparently the first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in a birth on U.S. soil, health officials said.
Dengue is not endemic to Hawaii but has occasionally spread after being imported by infected travelers. The outbreak on the Big Island is the first cluster of locally-acquired dengue fever since a 2011 outbreak on Oahu, the Hawaii Department of Health said. - Yahoo.
December 26, 2015 - HAWAII - A newly discovered fungus is killing a tree that's critical to Hawaii's
water supply, endangered native birds and Hawaiian cultural traditions
like hula.
The disease called rapid ohia death has hit hundreds of thousands of ohia lehua trees on the Big Island.As of last year, it was found to have affected 50 percent of the ohia
trees across 6,000 acres of forest, but it's believed to have spread
further since then. To date, it's been found primarily in Puna but also in Kona and Kau. It hasn't been seen anywhere else in the world.
Robert Hauff, the forest health coordinator at the state Department of
Land and Natural Resources, said the state is planning aerial surveys
next month to learn how many acres are affected by the fungus. A world
expert in similar diseases is also expected to visit the islands to
advise the state on how to control the outbreak.
"Worst case scenario is that it spreads statewide and it
decimates all of our ohia forests. It's a pretty bleak picture," Hauff
told reporters at a news conference in Honolulu.
Ohia is important to the water supply because it's so effective
at soaking water into the ground and replenishing the watershed. It's
critical for native birds because the animals feed on its nectar. It
provides a canopy to native plants growing underneath it in the forests.
The state Department of Agriculture has created rules prohibiting moving
wood, flowers and other parts of the ohia tree between islands. The
state is also encouraging people to clean tools used on ohia and clean
shoes and clothes used near ohia.
Christy Martin, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii Coordinating Group on Alien
Pest Species, said the fungus is "sneaky" because it can infect a tree
for months before showing any symptoms.
"So somebody could think they're walking through a healthy
forest, picking up wood and doing whatever they're doing collecting for
lei and not know they're dealing with an infected tree," Martin said after the news conference.
Sam Ohu Gon III, senior scientist and cultural adviser at the Nature
Conservancy of Hawaii, said ohia wood was used for weapons, hula
instruments, homes and temples in ancient Hawaii. Many Hawaiian proverbs
and sayings reference the tree.
"It's a fundamental blow to the natural foundations of Hawaiian culture
as far as I'm concerned," Gon said. "It's very important thing,
therefore, for anyone who has any love at all for those elements of
where we live."
- Phys.org.
Red pins represent confirmed cases of dengue fever, yellow pind
represent potential dengue fever cases under investigation and blue pins
represent cases that turned out to be negative. Hawai'i County Civil
Defense map, as of Dec. 4.
December 5, 2015 - BIG ISLAND, HAWAI'I - As the work week closes out, an additional six cases of confirmed dengue fever on the Big Island have been added to the count by the Hawai’i Department of Health.
Throughout the duration of the week, an additional 107 cases of potential dengue were excluded as the result of negative dengue test results and/or the lack of meeting case criteria.
Total numbers include 17 visitors infected by the dengue virus and 30 individuals identified by the DOH as “children” or those who are under the age of 18.
County and State officials wrapped up their final public meeting Thursday in a second wave of community focused events that discussed the current dengue outbreak and prevention tips.
Hawai’i County Civil Defense Administrator and Incident Commander Darryl Oliveira said Thursday that the second group of meetings was intended to provide more thorough coverage of the various communities throughout the island.
Additional meetings may be scheduled in the future, based on community need, resource availability, and developments in the dengue outbreak.
On Friday, the Big Island Visitors Bureau held a panel at their annual meeting in Kona, providing an oppotunity for officials to speak to tourism industry representatives about the current outbreak and mitigation methods.
Civil Defense released an updated map, indicating specific areas of confirmed cases of dengue. The county map provides pinpointed information regarding areas of “concern,” compared to the DOH’s areas map with general areas marked.
The map released Friday (above) includes pin points of confirmed cases (orange), suspected cases (yellow), and negative cases (blue and white) of dengue fever. A high number of confirmed cases can be seen along the west coast of the Big Island, as well as in the Hilo and Puna areas.
Civil Defense notes that the map should not exclude areas on the Big Island from mosquito control measures.
Consistent with operations performed over most of the week, spraying operations were being conducted in the South Kona and Puna areas on Friday as a preventative measure towards eliminating mosquito populations.
Dr. Lyle Peterson, Director of the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, has been on-island since Wednesday, per request of the county and state. He will return to the mainland Friday evening.
Ryan Hemme, CDC entomologist, and Albert Felix, CDC entomology assistant, will remain on the Big Island over the next two weeks and they assist in the evaluation of the mosquitoes causing the dengue outbreak, conduct training for government officials in the handling of dengue, and help to assess control efforts.
Symptoms of dengue fever include fever, joint or muscle paints, headache or pain behind the eyes, and rash.
Those interesting in obtaining general information about the current Big Island dengue fever investigation should call 2-1-1 and talk with Aloha United Way.
Anyone who thinks they may have contracted dengue fever on the Big Island should call 933-0912 if they’re located in East Hawai’i or 322-4877 in West Hawai’i. If an individual is currently ill and worried that they may have contracted dengue fever, they should contact their primary care physician.
Mosquito concerns should be reported to 974-6010 in East Hawai’i or 322-1513 in West Hawai’i.
November 27, 2015 - PUNA, HAWAII - A huge breakout on the north flank of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent on the East
Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano is sending waves of molten lava cascading
downslope.
Video of the event was recorded on Thanksgiving by Mick
Kalber, filming from a Paradise Helicopters overflight.
Kalber says the tube opening begins about 150 yards below the vent
and over the past two days has sent hot liquid rock more than a quarter
mile down the north flank.
The breakout was noted in today’s USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
eruption update.
WATCH: Lava breakout at Kilauea.
“A breakout close to Puʻu ʻŌʻō was prominently visible
on a nearby webcam beginning yesterday afternoon and continuing through
the night,” scientists wrote.
“The lava flow is not currently
threatening any communities.” - BIVN.
A 4.5 magnitude quake struck west of Pahla at 2:18 a.m. Saturday, May 9, 2015. USGS earthquake location
May 9, 2015 - HAWAII - A pair of temblors rocked the Big Island early Saturday morning.
At 2:17 a.m. a 3.1 magnitude quake struck the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area while a second quake of 4.5 magnitude shook a minute later at 2:18 a.m. west of Pahala.
A 3.1 magnitude quake struck in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park area at 2:17 a.m. Saturday, May 9, 2015. USGS earthquake location
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the 4.5 magnitude quake struck was centered about 5 miles north of the small town of Naalehu at a depth of 6 miles.
USGS shakemap intensity
There were no reports of damage or injury. People around the island reported light shaking.
The observatory says light shaking isn't expected to damage buildings.
Small aftershocks under magnitude-2 were recorded in the hours after. - Hawaii 24/7 | AP.
May 5, 2015 - HAWAII - A powerful explosion in an active Hawaiian lava crater was captured on
webcam by the US Geological Survey. The footage shows how a rock fall
prompted the lava lake to burst.
The video shows Hawaii's active Halemaʻumaʻu Crater in the Kilauea
Volcano, often view at close range by tourists, as the crater's rocky
wall suddenly collapses into the lava lake, causing an avalanche of dust
to form.
The
breathtaking imagery shows rocks crashing into the lava followed by a
massive red explosion with a wave of fire and plume of smoke roaring
into the air. Large spatters of molten lava go flying everywhere.
"Fist-size clasts were deposited around the closed Halemaʻumaʻu visitor
overlook," the USGS' Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said, commenting on
the Sunday explosion.
WATCH: Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook Vent rockfall and lava explosion.
No injuries were reported after the incident at the crater, which
has been shut to visitors due to its recently increased activity. The
stunning blast was captured by the observatory's webcams stationed
around the summit.
The Halemaʻumaʻu Crater has been active since March 2008. The lava lake was overflowing during the weekend and still poses a potential hazard, according to geologists. -
RT.
April 29, 2015 - HAWAII - The lava lake at the summit of Kilauea volcano reached the rim of the
Overlook crater vent this morning, "during a period when all spattering
stopped, but did not get quite high enough to overflow onto the
Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor," scientists report.
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says there was no significant
change in tilt recorded at Kīlauea's summit over the past day. This
week's rise in the level of the lava lake to record heights has
correlated with inflation recorded at the summit; about 7.5 microradians
since inflation started on Tuesday, April 21. The radial tilt leveled
off into slight deflation on Monday but as of this posting Tuesday
morning it has returned to steady inflation. The lava lake remained at a
steady 10-13 feet below the rim on Monday.
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says seismicity is elevated
beneath Kilauea's summit and upper East and Southwest Rift Zones. Sulfur
dioxide emission rates averaged 3000-5200 tonnes/day for the week
ending April 21.
HVO has installed a new webcam at the Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook. The new angle compliments the four views already trained on the volcano vent at the summit.
New webcam at Kilauea summit.
As
the lava level rises, some residents have expressed concern. To
alleviate fears, Hawaii County Civil Defense issued an eruption
information update Tuesday morning:
The recent rise of the lava lake within the Halema'uma'u Crater vent at
the summit of Kīlauea has not resulted in any significant change or
increased activity at Pu'u 'Ō'ō. All active flows from Pu'u 'Ō'ō remain
within about 5 miles of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent, and about 8 miles from the
area of Highway 130 near Pāhoa. The team at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory is maintaining close observations of all volcanic activity
and the community will be kept informed of any changes in the level of
volcanic threat. Presently, the Kilauea Volcano alert level remains at
the WATCH or orange threat level and there is no immediate threat to any
down slope communities.Hawaii County Civil Defense on April 28 at 8:03
a.m.
Now that the laval lake is visible to
the public, the activity has drawn thousands of additional visitors to
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Over the last several days, hopeful
onlookers waited up to 30 minutes or longer to park. Rangers are having
to redirect vehicles during peak visitation hours to park at the Kīlauea
Military Camp ball field. From there, park officials say visitors can
hike one mile to the Jaggar Museum observation deck, the closest and
best vantage point to view the spectacular lava lake.
Visitors should come prepared to ensure a safe and enjoyable park
experience. We encourage people to avoid peak hours, and arrive after 10
p.m. and before 4 a.m. if possible, or they will likely wait in line
for parking. The park remains open 24 hours a day." - Superintendent
Cindy Orlando
The National Park Service also offered these tips for an optimal viewing experience:
Be prepared to hike one mile each way between Kīlauea Military Camp
ball field and the Jaggar Museum observation deck on Crater Rim Trail.
Wear sturdy closed-toe shoes, bring rain gear, water, binoculars, a
flashlight, and extra batteries.
Carpool if possible to reduce the number of vehicles in the parking areas.
As a courtesy to other visitors, no "tailgating" in the Jaggar
Museum or Kīlauea Overlook parking lots. Choose another picnic location
so others have a chance to view the eruption.
To observe viewing and weather conditions, monitor the USGS Hawaiian
Volcano Observatory webcams. The KI camera provides a panoramic view of
Halema'uma'u Crater from HVO.
High levels of dangerous sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas and volcanic ash
can be blown over Jaggar Museum by southerly winds. These gases are a
danger to everyone, particularly to people with heart or respiratory
problems, young children and pregnant women. Kīlauea Visitor Center
offers updates on air quality 24 hours a day, and visitors can monitor
the Hawaii SO2 network website.
The public is also reminded that park entrance fees apply and that the
use of unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in all national parks.
An incident at the park made headlines Monday: rangers tased a park visitor who was operating a drone at the overlook. - Big Island Video News.
This map from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center shows the location of a magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck early Sunday morning off Hawaii island.
The earthquake did not generate a tsunami. PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER
April 6, 2015 - UNITED STATES - A
magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook Hawaii island early Sunday morning, but
no tsunami was generated and there were no immediate reports of serious
injuries or damage.
The earthquake struck at 3:23 a.m. about 7 miles west of Kalaoa and 10 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona at a depth of 6.2 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Only light shaking was reported and the earthquake caused no detectable changes to the volcanoes on Hawaii island, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.
USGS shakemap intensity
The earthquake was widely felt on the Big Island. The USGS "Did You Feel It?" website received more than 150 felt reports, including 3 people who said they felt it on Oahu at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and in Aiea.
During the past 30 years, geologists recorded 23 earthquakes, including Sunday's temblor, in the same area offshore of Keahole Point with magnitudes greater than 3.0 and depths of 3 to 9 miles.
The volcano observatory said earthquakes at this depth off the west coast of the Big Island are typically caused by abrupt motion on the boundary between the old ocean floor and the volcanic material of the island and are usually not directly related to volcanic activity.
As of 7 a.m., no aftershocks of the earthquake were reported, volcano scientists said.
An unrelated earthquake, estimated at magnitude 3.3, struck at 12:16 a.m. It was centered 11 miles south of Kapaau and 36 miles north-northeast of Kailua-Kona at a depth of about 16 miles. - Star Advertiser.
December 26, 2014 - HAWAII
- Yes, there were blizzard warnings in effect in Hawaii, where the two
highest mountain peaks on the Big Island eventually saw a White
Christmas.
Blizzard warnings were in effect on Christmas Eve for Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa above 11,500 feet for strong winds and heavy snow which led to blowing and drifting snow. By definition, winds must be at least 35 mph or greater with falling or blowing snow that reduces visibility to 1/4 mile or less for at least 3 hours to reach blizzard criteria.
Lower elevations saw heavy rain and were under flash flood watches through Christmas Eve.
This was due to a sharp upper trough west of the Big Island which brought enough moisture and cold air aloft to produce snow in the higher elevations of Hawaii's Big Island.
Snowfall totals of up to 8 inches were expected, with higher drifts. Sustained winds ranged from 40 to 55 mph with gusts over 80 mph.
The Mauna Kea Weather Center reported a temperature of 24 degrees Fahrenheit at the summit around 2 a.m. local time Thursday, along with sustained winds of 53 mph and gusts as high as 82 mph. This resulted in a wind chill of just 2 degrees.
Travel to the mountains' summits was dangerous and potentially life-threatening through Christmas morning. The road to the summit of Mauna Kea was closed as of Wednesday evening due to ice and snow on the roads along with low visibility.
This is only the second blizzard warning that the National Weather Service office in Honolulu has issued since 1986. The only other blizzard warning was on Dec. 5, 2007. The National Weather Service reported that Park Rangers saw 5 to 7 foot "frozen drifts of snow" on roads to the Mauna Kea summit during the Dec. 5-7, 2007 event. Snow in Hawaii: It Happens More Often Than You Think
Palm trees, sandy beaches and tropical breezes typically come to mind when thinking about the Hawaiian Islands.
And
when brainstorming a fun Hawaiian activity, the question "Hey bro,
wanna go hang ten on some Maui waves?" will pop up more often than "Hey
bro, wanna go shred some pineapple powder on Mauna Kea?"
You may be surprised to learn that you can actually do both! Yes, It Actually Snows in Hawaii
Despite its tropical latitude farther south than Miami, snow does fall in Hawaii, thanks to elevation.
According to Ken Rubin,
an assistant professor of geology and geophysics at the University of
Hawaii, "it snows here every year, but only at the very summits of our
three tallest volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala)."
"The
snow level almost never gets below 9,000 feet in Hawaii during the
winter, but since these mountains are taller than 13,600 feet, 13,700
feet and 10,000 feet, respectively, they get dusted with snow a few
times a year. It rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days
though." Can You Really Ski in Hawaii?
Technically, it is possible to ski in Hawaii, but there are a lot of caveats.
Mauna Kea Ski Corporation explains that "Mauna Kea is a National Science Reserve and is not maintained as a ski area. Skiing areas may have unmarked and exposed rocks. Adverse weather conditions may arise unexpectedly... Most runs are for intermediate to advanced skiers/snowboarders - weather permitting."
In addition, the Hawaii Ski Club cautions potential skiers that "there are no lifts, no grooming, no resort, but a road goes to the summit to serve the dozen or so world-class observatories located at the summit. You must have a 4-wheel drive vehicle to get to the summit, which serves as your 'lift'." The club adds that skiers take turns being the driver, picking up the other skiers at the bottom of the runs and ferrying them up to the summit.
"Conditions at the top are extremely variable. Winter temperatures range from 25 to 40 degrees, but wind chill and the high altitude can make it seem much colder. Between April and November the weather is milder, with daytime temperatures varying from 30 to 60 degrees."
Bottom line, it may be better to hang ten near the beach rather than ski down a Hawaiian mountain. Thankfully though, technology is on snowbirds' side: beautiful views of Mauna Kea's peaks can be seen via the Mauna Kea Weather Center's web cams. - Weather.
December 19, 2014 - HAWAII
- The lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island is
creeping closer to civilization every day and is now only a mile away
from a grocery store and a gas station, reports say.
The volcano which began to spew lava again in June is slowly edging toward the town of Pahoa. Experts calculate that the lava lobe could contact the town by Christmas if the volcano continues its current action.
“Scientists
from the U.S. Geological Survey said the flow measured about 250 feet
across and had advanced about 220 yards in 24 hours, putting its leading
edge 0.9 mile from a small commercial plaza at the junction of Pahoa
Village Road and the main highway,” Reuters reported on Thursday.
WATCH: Lava flow motion - Kilauea molten vomit closes in on Pahoa market Hawaii.
Some
say that the lava flow could intersect the main road near the town’s
grocery store and gas station and will then engulf the town’s city
center and business district. It will be the worst destruction since
1983, when this lava flow from Kilauea first erupted.
The gas station has emptied its underground gasoline storage tanks and replaced it with water and fire-retardant foam.
Authorities are preparing for an evacuation if the situation demands it.
There have been two earthquakes in the area, too.
“On Nov. 22 at 7:58 a.m., a magnitude-3.3 earthquake occurred 19 miles northwest of Kailua-Kona at a depth of 4 miles,” West Hawaii Today reported. “On Nov. 23 at 7:35 a.m., a magnitude-3.3 earthquake occurred 1 mile west of Volcano at a depth of 1 mile.” - Breitbart.
In this photo taken Dec. 12, 2014, and provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, the active lava flow front continues to advance downslope towards the northeast about a mile and a half from the marketplace in Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials say lava from Kilauea volcano is on course to reach a supermarket and shopping center in the small town of Pahoa in seven to ten days. Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said Monday, Dec. 15, 2014, the lava is about one mile away from Malama Marketplace supermarket. There’s a hardware store, pharmacy and gas station in the same shopping center. (AP Photo/U.S. Geological Suvery, Tim Orr)
December 16, 2014 - HAWAII- Lava from a volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is on course to reach a
shopping center with a gas station and a supermarket in seven to 10
days, officials said.
Lava is
about 1 mile from the shopping center in the small town of Pahoa, Hawaii
County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said Monday. The shopping
center also contains a hardware store, pharmacy and auto repair shop.
There's
still a great deal of uncertainty about when the lava might reach the
center and what it could hit. The lava could smother one structure in
the complex or cover them all, he said.
"It just depends on what the flow does as it comes through," he told reporters during a conference call.
Oliveira
says the county has been in touch with the merchants about evacuation
plans. The county hasn't yet advised them to leave.
The
supermarket, one of the biggest stores in the center, plans to start
removing equipment on Tuesday and shut down on Thursday. Malama Market
said in a statement it was encouraging customers to keep shopping until
its doors close.
The gas station would sell its remaining fuel and
pump out what's leftover if it does have to evacuate, Oliveira said. It
would then fill its tanks with water and firefighting foam.
This plan has been approved the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and by the state Department of Health, he said.
An
earlier idea called for the gas station to put sand into the tanks, but
this wouldn't have removed all flammable vapors. It also would have
destroyed the pumping system. By using firefighting foam, the gas
station may use the tanks again if lava bypasses the area and it wants
to reopen.
Lava has never hit a gas station on the Big Island in the past, Oliveira said.
Lava
has been threatening Pahoa town, which has a population of about 900,
for months. In October, it burned a house and covered part of a cemetery
but stalled just before hitting Pahoa's main road.
It later started flowing from a different spot.
The
lava could still cross the town's main road and a highway, which would
make it more difficult for residents of Pahoa and the broader community
of Puna to get to other parts of the island. - Yahoo.
November 16, 2014 - ALASKA/HAWAII - Airplanes are being warned to avoid airspace near an erupting Alaska volcano as it spews ash 30,000 feet above sea level.
The National Weather Service said Saturday ash is being blown to the west and northwest of Pavlof Volcano.
Pavlof
began erupting three days ago, pushing lava out from a vent near its
summit. On Friday, the ash cloud reached 16,000 feet.
Alaska
Volcano Observatory Geophysicist Dave Schneider says the eruption
intensified at 6 a.m. Saturday, sending the ash cloud higher.
Schneider
says it's not clear how long the eruption will last. He says Pavlof's
eruptions may last for weeks or months with varying levels of intensity.
Pavlof is Alaska's most active volcano. It sits along international air routes connecting Europe, North America and Asia. - KVOA.
A
volcano in the Alaska Peninsula launched an ash plume 30,000 feet into
the air on Saturday morning, while officials in Hawaii say lava
continues to advance on a town that has been sitting in the path of a
slow-moving molten slide since June.
Mt. Pavlof, which has been
erupting since Wednesday, continues to see intense seismic activity, and
pilots in the area were reporting ash clouds as high as 30,000 feet
above sea level, according to the state's volcano observatory.
The
Federal Aviation Administration has yet to impose flight restrictions
in the area, according to spokesman Ian Gregor, but the agency did issue
several notices to pilots regarding the eruption.
Power poles in the lava's path are being protected by thick insulating
foil, with an 18-foot-high ring of cattle fencing filled with crushed
rock and cinders around each pole. (Peter Serafin / For The Times)
In Hawaii, the
state's civil defense agency said Saturday that the lava flow from
Kilauea volcano that had advanced slowly on the town of Pahoa since June
was continuing to edge closer, but still did not pose an immediate
threat to residents.
The lava, which has come within 200 yards of
Pahoa Village Road in recent weeks, has smothered part of a cemetery and
set fire to two structures, but there are no other buildings in its
immediate vicinity.
In a statement issued Saturday, Hawaii's
civil defense agency said several "active breakouts" from the lava flow
were burning asphalt and vegetation, and heavy smoke conditions could be
persistent in the area.
Many residents of Pahoa have evacuated or are prepared to do so. - LA Times.
Lava flowing from Kilauea's 31-year eruption has destroyed a house on Hawaii for the first time since 2012.
November 11, 2014 - HAWAII - A slow-moving lava flow from an erupting volcano
on Hawaii's Big Island incinerated a house on Monday, marking the first
home devoured by a stream of molten rock that has crept toward the
village of Pahoa for weeks, civil defense officials said.
The house was abandoned some time ago, and no injuries were reported from the lava flow, which began oozing from Kilauea Volcano in late June. Hawaii Civil Defense officials said no other residential structures were immediately threatened.
The
home was ignited just before noon local time by a finger of lava that
broke out from the main flow on Sunday, even as the leading edge of the
lava came to a near standstill 480 feet (145 meters) away from Pahoa
Village Road, the main street through town, officials said.
The slowly moving molten rock from possibly the world's most active volcano poses no further threat for now.
The lava has slowly been moving towards the village of Pahoa for weeks.
A man takes a picture of the lava flow from Mount Kilauea in Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Marco Garcia
Residents
of about 50 homes that lie in the projected path of the lava have been
preparing to leave the area, many of them emptying their houses of
belongings in case an evacuation should become necessary.
Pahoa, a town of about 800 people, stands on the site of a former sugar cane plantation on the eastern edge of the Big Island.
WATCH: Lava from erupting Kilauea volcano claims first house in Hawaii.
Kilauea's
current eruption began in 1983, and the flow of lava that has menaced
Pahoa began bubbling out of the volcano's Pu'u O'o vent on June 27.
Lava
from Kilauea destroyed more than 180 homes between 1983 and 1990, but
until this week none had been lost since 2012. - Reuters.
A breakout occurs from an inflated lobe of the Kilauea volcano lava flow
as seen in this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) handout photo taken
near
the village of Pahoa, Hawaii, November 2, 2014. (Reuters/USGS)
November 4, 2014 - HAWAII
- President Barack Obama declared a slow-moving lava flow from the Pu'u
O'o vent of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii to be a major disaster, and
ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts, the
White House said in a Monday statement.
The lava flow is
encroaching on Pahoa, a rural town on Hawaii’s Big Island, threatening
to destroy a major road in the already-isolated town at the site of an
old sugar plantation. The leading edge of the flow has paused about 185
yards from Pahoa Village Road, the main thoroughfare, Reuters reported.
The smoldering lava is a little more than 300 feet away from a home in the town, Hawaii News Now said.
The
leading edge of the lava flow is just 35 yards wide, but breakouts have
expanded it to more than 500 yards wide near Apa’a Street, the Weather
Channel reported.
WATCH: Lava rom Kilauea volcano swallows residential areas on Hawaii's Big Island.
So far the
lava has smothered part of a cemetery and burned down a shed, some tires
and metal materials, according to the Associated Press. No homes have
been destroyed and no injuries have been reported. “We can definitely see a bit of a glow, smell the smoke and the burning vegetation,”
Eric Johnson, a teacher at the Hawaii Academy of Arts and Science
(HAAS), located one road down from Pahoa Village Road, told Time. “On occasions, I’ve heard loud booms, like shotgun blasts, when methane pockets in the ground explode.”
As
the lava flow continues to expand further away from Pahoa, it threatens
to put more people at risk, US Geological Survey geologist Frank
Trusdell told Hawaii News Now. "As the flow widens of course
then the downslope areas get wider as well and so the potential impact
for people spreads out over a larger area," Trusdell said.
Smoke rises from the Pu'u O'o vent on the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. (Reuters/Marco Garcia)
“I’m not worried about the volcano, I’m worried about the government,” local resident Robert Petricci told Time. “The
lava has been inching forward for 30 years, now the National Guard is
here with Humvees and flak vests like it’s a war zone. Everything’s a
mess, with all the checkpoints, asking people who they’re riding with
and where they’re going.”
The new Pu'u O'o vent opened
on the Kilauea volcano on June 27. The 1,000-degree red mass of molten
rock is expected to displace around 900 schoolchildren, according to
KITV. “I’m very impressed and proud of the [HAAS] kids, they’ve decided to make a bad situation into something positive,” Johnson said.
WATCH: Kilauea volcano triggers evacuation fears on Hawaii's Big Island.
Gov.
Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) requested federal aid on October 24 to
boost local emergency protective measures, including repairs,
re-establishment of alternate routes in and out of affected communities
and the accommodation of those displaced.
Thanks to Obama’s
disaster declaration, federal funding will be available to state and
eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations
on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures and hazard
mitigation, the White House said.
Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA) Administrator W. Craig Fugate named Kenneth K. Suiso as
the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the
affected area. FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later
date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further
damage assessments. - RT.
A lava flow from Kilauea volcano approaches the village of Pahoa, Hawaii. U.S. Geological Survey
November 3, 2014 - HAWAII
- Lava from Kilauea's bubbling new vent has yet to swallow a single
home or close a key thoroughfare, but the volcano has changed everything
in this little town on the Big Island.
National Guard members are
a 24/7 presence. Roadblocks keep disaster tourists at bay. Schools have
closed. The dump has been relocated — to within an easy sniff of the
unhappy Nani O Puna apartments.
The Locavore Store, which sells
bounty grown by its "farmy neighbors," closed on Halloween. An
apologetic sign on its empty storefront explains: "We will be re-opening
on the north side of the lava flow. New location and opening dates
TBD."
Lava from the newly formed Kilauea vent, which opened June
27, is sliding toward the ocean, edging ever closer to Pahoa's main
street. The molten rock — 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit — threatens to cleave
this town of about 950 and cut off thousands more people from jobs,
churches, schools and healthcare.
Kilauea has been erupting
steadily for 31 years but hasn't destroyed a home since 2012 — when it
picked off the last one in an area the volcano had damaged decades
earlier. Not even vulcanologists know when — or if — it might happen
again.
People talk about "the Hilo side" and "the lava side" of
the still-intact town. They scramble to figure out if they can afford to
relocate. They fear the impact on their enclave of tank tops, tattoos
and extreme piercing, where an old man in a volcano tee cycled down
Pahoa Village Road this weekend with a chicken on his shoulder.
WATCH: Rain reduced the smoke rising from burning vegetation as lava from the Kilauea volcano continued to advance toward the village of Pahoa.
"Pahoa's
not the same already," said Shanelle Nelson, 20, a saleswoman behind
the counter at Jeff Hunt Surfboards. "It's crazy. I could get cut off
from the beach."
A "Prayer for Deliverance" has been added to the
end of Mass at Sacred Heart Church, a crisp white sanctuary in the lush
landscape, where ceiling fans spin in front of the crucifix and elderly
women worship in pre-Vatican II lace mantillas.
After communion
was served and the Our Father sung during Saturday's early morning Mass,
the faithful reached for slips of orange paper, printed with prayer,
softened by humidity and handling, tucked into the backs of pews
alongside hymnals.
"Almighty and merciful God, look with
compassion on our affliction, particularly the threat of the lava flow
that our community is facing," the congregation read as one. "Lighten
our burden, confirm our faith and deliver us from all harm that this
lava flow poses."
A very different deity is petitioned about three
miles away. That's where Keonepoko Elementary School sits, closed for
the foreseeable future, forlorn in the morning rain. Its chain-link
fence is a flutter of red cards printed with the heartfelt prayers of
teachers and students transferring to safer campuses.
"Aloha
Madame Pele. We love and honor you," began a note to the volcano
goddess. "Please protect this place, Keonepoko. May we return to
continue to educate the keiki of Hawai'inei," the children of beloved Hawaii.
In this handout provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), A portion
of the front of the lava flow pushes through a fence marking a
property
boundary on October 28, 2014 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Handout / Getty Images
In this handout provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a portion
of the front the lava flow pushes through a fence marking
a property
boundary on October 28, 2014 in Pahoa, Hawaii. Handout / Getty Images
Lava from the Kilauea Volcano encroached on the city of Pahoa, Hawaii on
Oct. 30. Bruce Omori / Paradise Helicopters / European Pressphoto
Agency
A lava flows through thick vegetation, creating thick plumes of smoke as
it advances on the town of Pahoa on the Big Island of Hawaii. U.S.
Geological Survey
A homeowner tries to slow the flow of lava from the Kilauea Volcano that
threatens the city of Pahoa, Hawaii on Oct. 30.
Bruce Omori / Paradise
Helicopters / European Pressphoto Agency
A geologist maps the extent of the lava flow from the Kilauea volcano near Pahoa, Hawaii, on Oct. 26. U.S. Geological Survey
Lava flows from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano on Oct. 26 as the leading tip
of the flow advanced through the Pahoa cemetery in Hawaii. The lava flow
is advancing toward the town of Pahoa. U.S. Geological Survey
Lava flows from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano Saturday and crosses a road
outside Pahoa, Hawaii. The lava flow is advancing toward the town of
Pahoa. U.S. Geological Survey
Geologists walk over the surface of the flow to track surface breakouts
along a portion of the flow margin. U.S. Geological Survey
An active lava lake inside a crater at the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Pahoa, Hawaii. U.S. Geological Survey
Security guard George Cortez stands at a roadblock to prevent
non-residents from entering the lava-threatened community of
Kaohe
Homesteads in Pahoa, Hawaii. Audrey McAvoy / AP
Another
note was much more basic, though not as accurately spelled: "Don't
brack our school," a little girl wrote. "We don't want to die."
Rieshel
Hess, 9, is one of an estimated 1,700 students displaced by the
slow-moving lava. She said she would soon transfer from Keonepoko to
Pahoa Elementary School. On Saturday, she helped tie strips of red cloth
— Pele's color — to the chain-link fence around her new campus,
spelling out the word "Aloha."
Rieshel worries about "what's going
to be our life with the lava flow." Her note to Pele, which hangs from
the fence at Keonepoko, is short and beseeching: "Dear Pele, Please do
not destroy our school because I like the school very much and it's my
favorite school I went to."
Laverne Hess, Rieshel's mother, said
living in volcano country was an exercise in "day by day. It's stressful
at times. You don't know what to do. Do you move to the city? Our home
is here. It's hard to let go."
Hess' father survived Kilauea's
1960 eruption, which destroyed the town of Kapoho about eight miles
away. She herself recalls vividly when the volcano blew in 1983, burying
Kalapana, about 13 miles southwest, in thick, black lava.
A
Native Hawaiian, Hess said she prayed daily to the goddess of fire,
volcanoes and violence, a deity who jealously guards the land she claims
as her own.
"Her presence is here all the time, every day," Hess
said, tying strips of cloth to the fence as rain threatened. "I just
tell her, 'Keep us safe and let us make the right choices.'"
This
lava flow has been moving in fits and starts for months, allowing
contingency plans to be put in place, supplies to be stockpiled,
emergency roads to be built. Or as Neil Berez put it as he read from a
cracked tablet device at Tin Shack Bakery on Saturday: "Walk! Walk for
your life!"
The 45-year-old has been finishing catchment tanks for
collecting rainwater and a solar electricity system to power his home
should lava damage the grid.
"The most interesting thing is
watching people's reactions," Berez said. "Some panic pretty easily.
Others don't think about it deeply enough and are going to find
themselves without resources."
Then there are people like Mikel
Roe, 68, a retired vegetable and marijuana farmer. Roe has a parasite
called rat lungworm, which can affect the nervous system. He lives in
Pahoa, cannot drive, and has been told by his doctor that he should
leave town — now.
"In order for me to get pain medication, I have
to go to Hilo every month," Roe said over coffee at the Tin Shack. "They
want me to relocate so I'm closer to the doctor and the hospital. ... I
can't afford to do that, so I'm stuck on this side."
The Kilauea
volcano, officials said at news briefings throughout the weekend, has
destroyed 214 structures since 1983, including most of Kalapana. It did
not, however, claim that coastal town's historic Catholic church.
Dee
Adkins belonged to the Kalapana parish in 1990, when its members
decided the only way they could save their church was to move it. So
they put the structure on a flatbed truck and raised telephone lines to
allow its steeple to pass underneath.
Adkins has since moved to
Pahoa, where her home is threatened yet again. Leaving Mass at Sacred
Heart on Saturday morning, she said her family was putting together a
relocation plan.
Which does not include leaving the area forever.
"The
only way I can describe the feeling I got when I first got to Pahoa is
that I was on sacred ground," said Adkins, assistant director of nursing
at a long-term care facility. "God is in this place.
"It's like getting into the perfect bathwater. Ahhhhhhhhhh." - LA Times.
Smoke rises from the Pu'u O'o vent on the Kilauea Volcano October 29, 2014 on the Big Island of Hawaii. (Reuters/Marco Garcia)
October 31, 2014 - HAWAII
- The Hawaii National Guard is sending troops to Pahoa, a rural town
currently dealing with encroaching lava from the Kilauea volcano. The
lava is threatening to destroy a major road in the already-isolated
town.
The National Guard deployed Thursday 83 troops to Pahoa, a
town of about 950 residents, to assist with security, including the
construction of a roadblock and other pressing safety issues, AP
reported citing Hawaii County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira.
From a newly-formed vent, the Kilauea volcano has leaked
lava northeast toward the ocean since June. The lava has slowed since
scientists said last month that it would take over the main road in the
town within weeks. Nevertheless, the lava has stayed on course and still
threatens to consume the town’s main thoroughfare.
Thus far, lava
has burned much vegetation since it streamed through the area, and it
is currently approaching homes and other structures in town.
The lava’s flow is “sluggish” at the moment, according to Oliveira, moving less than 5 yards per hour.
Burning debris can be seen in the lava flow from Mount Kilauea that is
inching closer to the village of Pahoa, Hawaii October 29, 2014.
(Reuters/Marco Garcia)
Pahoa
residents are determining if, when, and how to evade the lava’s grasp,
especially as it threatens to overtake the main road, AP reported.
Residents are facing the prospect of having to abandon their homes as a
juggernaut of molten lava 10.5 meters wide and over 1,000 degrees
Celsius rampages across their village consuming everything. "She is so gentle but so unrelenting. She is just slow and steady," said Jamila Dandini, resident.
According to AP, Dandini, like others, refers to the lava as Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess. "It's like slow torture. It speeds up, it slows down. It speeds up, it slows down," said Paul Utes, who owns a cafe just a few hundred yards south of where the lava is expected to cross the main road.
Once
the lava crosses the main road and other outlets, the town will be
divided in half with only a few residents able to still access the
area’s sole supermarket, only a mile from the town’s heart.
The eruption of Kīlauea Volcano began in 1983, according to the US Geological Survey. The USGS has called Kilauea “perhaps the world’s most active volcano” and certainly the most active on the Hawaiian Islands. - RT.
