June 27 Lava Flow Update – 12/2/14

Tuesday morning’s Hawai’i County Civil Defense assessment of the June 27 lava flow shows that the new flow front, determined Monday, shows signs of advancement and widening.

Currently, the active flow front is about 2.7 miles upslope of the Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road intersection.

With an advancement of about 400 yards since Monday, the flow is gaining ground, but according to Civil Defense, the activity does not pose an immediate threat to area communities. Civil Defense, along with Hawaiian Volcano Observatory personnel, are maintaining close observations of flow activity and will continue to keep residents in downslope areas informed about any changes.

According to HVO’s Tuesday morning release, the flow is within .62 miles of a point where several lines of steepest descent essentially converge, which makes it difficult to know clearly what path the flow will take at that point.

Light smoke conditions were observed in the immediate area Tuesday morning with the smoke coming from burning vegetation and being blown in a southeast direction.

There is the possibility of smoke conditions increasing in some areas, and Civil Defense advises that individuals who have a history of respiratory issues take necessary precautions and stay indoors.

Deflation is ongoing at the summit and as a result, the lava lake has slightly dropped. According to HVO, all other monitoring data indicate no significant changes at Puʻu ʻŌʻō.

Pahoa Village Road remains open to all traffic, however motorists are asked to use caution since some of the utility poles still have protection materials in place. Additionally, Civil Defense asks that the public respect the privacy of residents in the area who were affected by the lava flow and do not trespass onto private property.

A lava flow community update meeting will be held on Thursday, Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Pahoa High School cafeteria.

This meeting is the first in two weeks after skipping last week’s meeting due to Thanksgiving. Representatives from Hawai’i County Civil Defense and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will be on hand to discuss current information of the June 27 lava flow.