PHOTOS: Smoke Plume Rises in Puʻu ʻŌʻō Area Right After 4.6 Quake

Photos of a “huge smoke plume” in the Puʻu ʻŌʻō began popping up on social media, along with those sent to Big Island Now.

Hawai‘i Island Police Officer S. Jelsma stationed in Pāhoa, confirmed that the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent collapsed again, possibly as a result of the quake.

“It appears that ground shaking from the earthquake caused rockfalls in the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone, which resulted in a short-lived plume of reddish ash rising above the cone,” said Tina Neal, HVO scientist-in-charge.

Mobile command center. PC: BIN

“I just took some pictures of a huge smoke cloud that was not there this morning,” said Lealanimelemoana Galvin of Waiakea Uka, who sent these photos to BIN.  “I just walked out of my garage after the recent earthquake and saw this. This is not the area that I normally see the lava glowing at night.”

The smoke cloud appeared right after that earthquake around 10:30 or so this morning, she said.

A mobile command  center has been set up between the police and fire stations in Pāhoa.

Although there has not been any official order to evacuate at this time, a BIN reporter in the area said that residents are making preparations to do so.

Huge smoke cloud, 10:30 a.m., May 3, 2018. PC: Lealanimelemoana Galvin of Waiakea Uka

Huge smoke cloud, 10:30 a.m., May 3, 2018. PC: Lealanimelemoana Galvin of Waiakea Uka

Huge smoke cloud, 10:30 a.m., May 3, 2018. PC: Lealanimelemoana Galvin of Waiakea Uka

Huge smoke cloud, 10:30 a.m., May 3, 2018. PC: Lealanimelemoana Galvin of Waiakea Uka

UPDATE: 5.0 Magnitude Quake Shakes Volcano Area: No Tsunami Generated