10-10-2016, 06:03 AM
The vog can be very difficult for some people - if there is any tendency in the family toward asthma, then you do not want to live in Ka'u. Although not extensively reported on, the vog also affected farm animals (cows, horses, goats) as well as people. Apparently the added sulfate that accumulated on the pastures caused nutritional problems for the grazers and there was enough fluoride (initially) that some showed clear signs of fluorosis. The intensity of the vog is not as bad as it was when the summit vent first opened up, but you should still give serious re-consideration to trying to farm and ranch there. This is a web-link to a vog plume dispersion map: http://weather.hawaii.edu/vmap/. It will show you how the vog is expected to affect the Ka'u community based on local weather. You should understand that the vog won't go away until the current vent shuts down or the current eruption shuts off - we're approaching 34 years and counting on the latter...
I would also take very seriously the comments about your children - the social environment here is very different from that on the mainland. To say that they would have a difficult time adjusting is a gross understatement. For that reason alone, I would rethink your plans for relocating to Ka'u.
I would also take very seriously the comments about your children - the social environment here is very different from that on the mainland. To say that they would have a difficult time adjusting is a gross understatement. For that reason alone, I would rethink your plans for relocating to Ka'u.