Slow-moving lava from
an erupting volcano on Hawaii's Big Island continued
to flow toward a small village, advancing about 250
yards on Monday, and threatened to reach a major
traffic intersection before year's end.
While the main flow from Kilauea's June 27th
eruption has stalled yards from the main road
through Pahoa Village and just feet from a
recycling transfer station, the breakout upslope is
active and lava is crawling toward the area, the
U.S. Geological Survey said.
The flow front is 2.3 miles upslope and does not
pose an immediate threat to the community, Hawaii
County Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said.
Last month, the river of lava incinerated a house,
the only home devoured by the stream of molten
rock.
Officials declared the new outbreak to be the
leading edge of the flow on Dec. 1 and have been
monitoring it closely as it moves 100-400 yards in
a northerly direction each day.
If lava reaches the intersection, where a grocery
store and dozens of other businesses line the
road, it will sever the main thoroughfare for nearly
10,000 residents who live in the southern district
of the island.
County officials moved quickly this summer to
ready two roads further east of the highway,
although they won't be open to the public until the
highway is overrun.
On Monday, county officials began ferrying in
students from Keonepoko Elementary School, which
was closed in October ahead of the advancing flow.
Those students now attend classes at two other
area schools.
"This lava flow has changed the lives of many
people in Puna, and we wanted to make sure our
school children who were most directly affected by
the lava were among the first members of the
public to visit the flow and see it up close,” said
Mayor Billy Kenoi.
More than 1,000 students are expected to tour
the transfer station and get a first-hand look at
the flow this week. Monday's group included many
of the students who were displaced.
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