Has anyone noticed.. the latest changes @ Kilauea

[kalakoa]

I say again: the government bailed out everyone else who built houses where they shouldn't -- it's a little late to ask "why is it their reponsibility".

[csgray]

There is the issue of the government permitting the division of large empty parcels of ag land on the downhill side of an active volcano into .2 to 1 acre lots, which were then sold as residential property to unsuspecting buyers who had know idea that they were buying property with substandard roads (or NO roads in some cases) and no utilities. Look at some of the early marketing of the Puna subdivisions that were used to sell pieces of "Paradise" to mainlanders, what exists here is not even close to what was "sold". The Hawaii County government has been collecting taxes on those properties for decades, allowed the subdivisions to be created and sold, and forced people who built on those properties to bear the expense of building to code. To now say that people just should have known better than to move there is a little disingenuous.

Carol

[kalakoa]

Indirectly my exact point: County collected lots of tax money and permit fees which should have been invested in at least an alternate evacuation route (leaving the "privately owned public road" issue aside, for now).

Potential lava inundation is no less a "natural hazard" than floodplains, tsunami areas, or the midwestern "tornado alley"; when disaster strikes, those people get a bailout, thus setting the "public expectation" that you will be rescued from your poor life choices, even when those apparent "choices" are actually a subdivision scam.

[VancouverIslander]

Fire insurance should cover you. My insurance agent said it would and I have no reason to doubt her. I think insurance on my sub 100k place in lava zone 3 was in the 5-700 range, but frankly, I'm in such shock from the insane cost of permitting a house here that such a small expenditure wasn't really on my list of concerns. If I do it again, I think unpermitted with solar and no insurance is the way to go - or better yet, buy someone else's that's already depreciated and fix it up. I knew going in that lava was a risk and thus the insurance. Sure, it likely doesn't cover the property itself, just the structure, but that's the bulk of the value.

Anyway, I've been following this flow for quite some time and it's significant that the flow has sped up in recent weeks in the easterly direction. Being in Eden Roc, I'm still a bit concerned about the smaller fringe breakouts to the North, but I suspect most of the flow will go generally east and possibly south based on the lay of the land. For those of you out Pahoa way, it's certainly not panic time yet, since historically most of the recent flows in that direction have been short lived. Of course, that really depends on how fast the spatter cone builds up or plugs, leading to a breakout elsewhere on Pu'u'o'o.

Anyway, best of luck to everyone who is threatened by this current situation. I hear it's not a bad idea to invest in Gin to placate Pele.

[csgray]

My understanding was that insurance doesn't cover lava damage, but does cover fire damage. So when places in Kalapana got taken during the first phase of this eruption in the 80s and 90s people videotaped their house bursting into flames right before the lava actually reached the house. Insurance may have changed since them, but the worst scenario would be to owe on a house which is untouched but cut off by hot lava.

Carol

[MarkP]

I'm in Eden Roc too and my protective denial instincts tell me that while we are not uphill from the recent lava flows, we are pretty far sideways from them. A lot of lava will have to come out and build up before we are really in the cross-hairs.

[unknownjulie]

CS, I asked State Farm about this exact thing and I was assured that it's urban legend. The only problem with this, is that I personally know someone who had their policy (not State Farm) canceled right before the lava hit. They took a complete loss on their cabin. It may depend upon the company. Don't know, and I hope I never find out!

[sputnut]

Any insurance company that cancels policies when danger lurks should be dismantled by the govt and their assets divided up between all their clients. I am pretty sure they cannot legally do that unless you miss a payment or something. Rest assured they will do it for any excuse they can scrape up so don't give em one.
One insurance company tried this right before the second rodney king verdict in case of riots and I remember them being in a lot of hot water.

comin' your way soon!

[bananahead]

much of upper Puna is actually covered by flows from Mauna Loa 'the dangerous volcano'....
unlike the tame 'drive in' pixy volcano named Kilauea

Mauna Loa has been within 1.5 miles of Hilo Bay in last 150 years (houses now on that flow) and 2 more times came close as well with the last one that way in 1984 going 3/4 of the way to Hilo before in pooped out... that lava at edge of bay and along the road at 4-mile, Richardsons etc, thats all from Mauna Loa it can reach the shore on 3 sides of this large island w/ no prob. HOVE at bottom of island is #1, they WILL get hammered again! there have been many flows straight through HOVE in last 150 years.

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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha

[EightFingers]

OK, that settles it. I'm moving to Hawi!