The worst vog we’ve ever experienced blanketed all of East Hawai‘i today, making our overflight very difficult. We did manage a couple glimpses of fissure 17, as it continues to push hot liquid rock toward the Pacific Ocean.
She made little progress overnight, but is now nearly half way to the water. And new fissures continue to pour lava into Lanipuna Gardens… just southeast of the PGV Geothermal plant. Huge cracks are appearing on Pohoiki Road and various other streets in Leilani, and several fissures have re-activated at the bottom of the subdivision.
The lobe headed toward Highway 132 remains stalled. The rest of the flow still appears to be headed in the direction of Ahalanui Beach Park (hot pond) area, or possibly as far northeast as Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots. Meanwhile, Halema‘uma‘u in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park continues venting steam and ash thousands of feet into the air, and showing the potential to explode.
Cracks appeared in the road near the entrance to HVNP around noon today. We visited the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent today and saw no lava within the deep, deep crater. The eruption sites at HVNP and the East Rift Zone were both visible… their giant plumes rising above the clouds. Mahalo Paradise Helicopters, pilot Sean Regehr, Bruce Omori, Leilani the Hula Girl, and Fireman Ducky… you guys no ka oi!!! More tomorrow!
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