Hawaii volcano opens new fissure; five homes destroyed

Several small earthquakes also continue to rock the area since a 6.9 magnitude temblor hit on Friday, which Reuters reports was the strongest since 1975.

In the early morning hours on Sunday, lava shot up 230 feet in the air from one fissure in a section of the rural Puna district on Hawaii’s Big Island. “We kind of just have to sit and wait to see what direction the lava is going to flow in and what other fissures are going to open up”.

Scientists say Kilauea is likely to release more lava through more vents, but they’re unable to forecast exactly where the lava will appear.

Nine homes had been destroyed, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said.

And because Hawaii has seen what will likely be its largest natural disaster, and because there was no tsunami threat, “at this point it seems unlikely”.

Conditions permitting, Leilani Estates residents with properties between Highway 130 and Maile Street will be allowed to enter the subdivision to complete evacuation of pets, medicine, and vital documents left behind until 6 a.m. today.

Local authorities held a community meeting with residents from lava affected areas Friday night at Pahoa High School.

“It’s moving fast, I watched it go about two poles, this thing is 100 yards long.it’s going”, Turpin said.

The County will keep the community informed about the situation, and stands ready to ensure the safety and security of its residents, he said. “This is unfortunately not the end”.

“Until we see natural disaster activity dying down and the ground stops moving, it’s likely that this activity is going to continue”, said Tina Neal, a scientist in charge at the USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory, after a community meeting attended by about 300 people on Friday. His wife Stella then took a call from an official who told them to get out immediately.

Residents who have chosen to ignore orders to evacuate are making a grave mistake, according to Wendy Stovall, a volcanologist with the US Geological Survey.

Although 1,700 residents have been ordered to leave, some are choosing to stay behind – a grave mistake, officials say, as volcanic activity shows little sign of slowing down. “It’s at lethal concentration”.

“The high levels of sulfur dioxide are a threat to all who become exposed”, the Hawaii County Civil Defense office said in an alert.

Lava, which can reach temperatures of about 2,100 Fahrenheit (1,150 Celsius), spread less than about 10 m (33 ft) from the fissure, the observatory said.

Officials warned of the dangers of spattering hot rock and high levels of sulfuric gas that could threaten the elderly and people with breathing problems. “It felt nearly apocalyptic”.

Lava is spewing from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii and it’s already caused damage to five homes.

Gabbard warned that the threat from the sulphur dioxide could be more risky than the lava flows, which had stopped in places after the eruption.