Kilauea Eruptions — Updates
Hello Hawaii travelers and families,
A quick update on the eruption from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/updates.html
"Eruption of lava and gas continues at a low level along Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone within the Leilani Estates subdivision. Overnight, active emission of lava and spatter at multiple fissures was minimal. This is likely only a pause in activity; additional outbreaks or a resumption of activity are anticipated as seismicity continues in the area. Deflationary tilt at the summit of the volcano continues and the lava lake level continues to drop. There is no active lava in the Puʻu ʻŌʻō area. Aftershocks from Friday’s magnitude-6.9 earthquake continue and more should be expected, with larger aftershocks potentially producing rockfalls and associated ash clouds above Puʻu ʻŌʻō and Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Seismicity at Kīlauea’s summit remains elevated."
According to the Hawaii Board of Tourism:
"As news of volcanic activity taking place in East Hawai‘i continues to make headlines around the world, it is important that travelers headed to the island of Hawai‘i understand that there is absolutely no reason at this time to change or alter your leisure or business plans."
What this means for our trip:
Our itinerary has us undertaking a three day/two night overnight backpack trip in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which remains partially open as of this writing. However, as the situation remains fluid, we’ve secured lodging at Laupahoehoe Beach and Spencer Beach Parks (well away from the affected area) to which we will divert if conditions change and we are unable to visit HVNP. We will make a final decision once in the field, based on information provided by Hawaii Civil Defense, National Parks Service, and US Geological Survey.
Given the recent inflammatory headlines, we understand you may have concerns. Please do not hesitate to talk to us if you have questions.
Tim and Holly
On Fri, May 4, 2018 at 1:36 PM, Holly Durham <hdurham> wrote:
Hello Hawaii Travellers and Families,
I wanted to update you all on the current eruptions of Kilauea Volcano in the Puna district of Hawaii. Kilauea, home of Pele the volcano goddess, has been erupting continuously since 1983 but current lava flows in the Leilani Estates in the eastern tip of the island are forcing the evacuation of residents and the closure of areas of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
None of our itinerary overlaps with the currently closed areas. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will make changes to our itinerary if necessary. We are receiving minute to minute updates from both civil defense services and the USGS. Local agencies have an extremely well-developed monitoring network and all area closures maintain a wide perimeter around any dangerous volcanic gases. We also monitor the VOG (dangerous volcanic fogs) alert network and are ready to change our activities in response to any warnings. We also have contacts in Hawaii who are keeping us updated.
There are several links below for further updates and information.
http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts/https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/updates.html
https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcano
We will keep you posted with any changes to our itinerary. Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
It truly is amazing to watch the creation of new land on planet earth. How auspicious for our travels! Living Earth in Action.
All the best!
Holly and Tim
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Holly Durham-GuckianResidential LifeFitness and Wellnesses/kilauea/status.html
Spring Street International School