Hawaii lava flow creates 'slow-motion disaster'

Getting a close look at the lava flow. Photo courtesy of Josiah Hunt. 

It took four months, but the lava flow from the June eruption of Kilauea volcano, on Hawaii’s big island, has reached an inhabited area: the village of Pahoa, where it is expected to swallow up at least a dozen homes over the next few days. The lava river, which is over 1,000 degrees celcius, will slowly destroy the heart of this small community of 950 residents.

Officials have explained that there is no way to stop the flow, and that no matter what direction they might try divert it in, it would head toward other inhabited areas. So far the lava has flowed over a cemetery, swallowed up fences and sheds, and closed Pahoa’s main road. While the flow regularly speeds up and slows down, it goes only 10 metres per hour at its fastest, giving people plenty of time to get out of the way. The Hawaii County Civil Defence Agency has built two small gravel roads to give residents a way to escape.

An aerial view of the lava flow filmed on October 28. Courtesy of Ena Media Hawaii/Blue Hawaiian Helicopters.

“It’s the price we pay for living in a pristine, lush environment, with very little development”

Our farm isn’t in the path of the flow, but this slow-motion disaster is going to destroy our town. This is a natural catastrophe, just like a hurricane or a tornado, but the advantage with a lava flow is that people get to leave in plenty of time, and no one will get injured!

About a month after the volcano erupted, we started to realize the lava flow was heading our way. Since then the authorities have sent us daily updates on the lava’s progress, complete with aerial photographs. Some people who live in the lava’s path have already evacuated, but others are going to wait until the last minute. It seems some of the recent arrivals may move away for good, but old-timers will rebuild, just like they did in Kalapana, a nearby town wrecked by an eruption in the late 80s. People there rebuilt their houses on top of the dried lava!

A ground view of the lava flow on October 28.

People here are staying calm, but it’s quite surreal. It’s all anyone talks about. Everybody’s stockpiling foods and goods, since businesses will be closing and the lava is going to destroy the main road that connects us to the rest of the island. Authorities have asked people to stay away from the lava flow, because there is a risk of explosions due to methane buildups underground. It also creates a lot of smoke, especially when the lava burns up asphalt and detritus like old cars and tires. We worry about the air quality. I have purchased oxygen masks, in case it gets really bad.

The lava flow has damaged roads. Video filmed on October 25, courtesy of the County of Hawaii.

Everyone who lives on an active volcano knows the risks they run. It’s the price we pay for living in a pristine, lush environment, with very little development compared to most of the island. In fact, the lava flow may help preserve this. In the past few years, there’s been a population surge, and talk of more businesses and industries moving in. The lava should put a stop to that for a while…! People who live here, even those who are going to lose their homes, are very spiritual about it all – they see it as the birth of a new land, a sort of cleansing.

A close-up look at the lava flow. Photo courtesy of Josiah Hunt.