Lava Nears Town, Residents Prepare to Flee
Just 100 yards from the nearest home
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As lava encroaches on Pahoa, Hawaii, residents have been warned that they might need to evacuate, according to an Associated Press report. Pahoa, on Hawaii’s Big Island, is situated on the northeast slope of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
Lava has been flowing toward the village since June. But now the flows, which have been moving at about 15 yards per hour, are a direct threat to structures in the village. Officials also fear the lava flows will cross roads and cut off access to the community.
Kilauea has been erupting since 1983. Since then, most lava has moved to the south and avoided populated areas, but property destruction is not unheard of: about 200 homes were destroyed by lava in the 1990s. But over the past two years, lava has begun to flow to the populated northeast. And while lava flows are extremely difficult to predict, the call to evacuate could come in the next few days.