A breakout from the June 27 lava flow remains about 3.6 miles upslope of Apaa Street in Pahoa, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Friday morning. ADVERTISING A breakout from the June 27 lava flow remains about 3.6 miles upslope of
A breakout from the June 27 lava flow remains about 3.6 miles upslope of Apaa Street in Pahoa, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported Friday morning.
In addition to that breakout, which is located just below the geothermal well pad above the Kaohe Homesteads subdivision, other breakouts and surface flows were observed during an overflight Thursday morning about 5 miles upslope of Apaa Street, Civil Defense Director Darryl Oliveira said Thursday.
“Nothing that is posing any imminent threat to any communities — just an indication that there is lava making its way downslope from the vent within the system and obviously breaking out at that point,” Oliveira said.
Activity in the immediate area of Apaa Street remains stalled Friday morning. The leading edge of the June 27 lava flow has remained stalled about 480 feet mauka of Pahoa Village Road since Oct. 30.
“This morning, once again, very little activity to no activity was observed down on the flow front,” he said.
Scientists have said the halt is likely the result of a large breakout from the lava tube at Kahaualea, a small forested puu located about 1.1 mile below Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent, that affected the supply of lava to the tube downslope. The breakout occurred Friday night as Kilauea appeared to return to the inflation period of the inflation-deflation cycle. Inflation begins when magma rises into the summit reservoir.
Janet Babb, a geologist with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said scientists are on the ground Thursday trying to determine if lava is moving in the tube system about 2 miles upslope of Apaa Street.
Residents in the flow path remain on an evacuation advisory, according to Civil Defense.
Pahoa Village Road remains open in both directions, however, the section of the roadway between Apaa Street and Post Office Road is restricted to area residents only. Access to the businesses and commercial areas of Pahoa can be made via Pahoa Village Road at the intersection of highways 130 and 132 and Post Office Road. Civil Defense and public safety personnel will be operating in the area round the clock to maintain close observations of flow activity.
Oliveira on Wednesday said that the road would be reopened as soon as it is determined safe, but declined to provide a time frame.
Highway 130 remains open. The lava flow remains just under a half-mile from the state highway. Beach Road is open to traffic. Railroad Avenue remains closed as it traditionally has been.
Work on re-establishing Chain of Craters Road, which would be the only means of accessing Lower Puna should the flow cross Highway 130, continues. It should be complete in early December.
