Lava from the Leilani Estates Fissure #8 continues to issue huge volumes of hot rock into a lava river, running across the subdivision and collecting in a gigantic perched pond (storage area), which feeds lava downslope to Kapoho.
The flow front has now covered Four Corners… an intersection that effectively cuts off residents between Pohoiki Road and Green Mountain, including Pohoiki, the Hot Pond area, Vacationland, and Kapoho Beach Lots from the rest of the island.
But in addition to making the intersection and a large portion of Highway 137 (The Red Road) to the south, she made a u-turn, destroyed a home there and entered Green Mountain! She entered Green Lake and sent a plume skyward, and is now burning houses in the agricultural area across the street. The direction of the distal tip still looks like she is headed to Kapoho Beach Lots… and possibly Vacationland… or more likely, both.
Back upslope, earlier flows headed East-Northeast of concern to residents of Nanawale and Hawaiian Beaches/Shores have stalled out… nearly all the activity is now in the channelized river, or oozing out here and there from small breaches in the walls of the pond. That perched pond however, holds a vast amount of lava… and should a major breach occur, could send volumes of red hot lava streaming in almost any direction.
But short of that scenario, the aforementioned subdivisions appear pretty much out of harms way… at least for now. As I’ve said many times, I’m a volcanographer, NOT a volcanologist… so these are merely my personal observations… please take them for what they are worth.
Mahalo to the kind folks at Paradise Helicopters who make this all possible. Pilot, Rob Mitchell guided Bruce Omori, Special Guest, Leslie Gleam, Leilani, Swimmer Ducky and me over the flow field on an amazing charter flight. Mahalo, Rob! A hui hou!
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