09-05-2006, 04:10 PM
Aloha, Glenn. I, too, lived in the French Quarter for six years back in the 80's. My landlady called it the world's largest open air insane assylum. Are you acquainted with Ruthie, the Duck Lady, who roller skated around the Quarter in a wedding dress with live duck under her arm? She was just one of many wonderful characters.
Puna has some of the same flavor, but not the intensely concentrated wackiness of the French Quarter. Free spirits of many types abound here. Puna is all about neighborhoods, and finding one where you feel comfortable is important. There is incredible variety, ranging from upscale to what some would call borderling slums. On-site research is the only way to find your comfort zone. Come here and spend some time in the areas you are most interested in. Several of the subdivisions even have websites.
Now the lava zone thing is not scary to some folks. Even in the higher risk zones, the chances of any particular location being hit during any year is in the low single digits per cent wise. Somebody somewhere else on this forum did the math on this, so you may want to use the search function to look at that.
Pyroclastic explosions are extremely rare (and localized when they do happen) due to the plumbing of Kilauea, so Mount St. Helens type episodes don't seem to be a worry.
As for the land, it remains yours no matter how thickly it is covered by lava. As to whether the insurance will compensate for the lack of usefulness, you need to ask an insurance person.
If all this does not comfort you, there are some areas in Puna in lower risk zones, and you may want to concentrate your efforts there. Just google "lava zones Hawaii" and you will find maps.
Hope this helps,
Jerry
Puna has some of the same flavor, but not the intensely concentrated wackiness of the French Quarter. Free spirits of many types abound here. Puna is all about neighborhoods, and finding one where you feel comfortable is important. There is incredible variety, ranging from upscale to what some would call borderling slums. On-site research is the only way to find your comfort zone. Come here and spend some time in the areas you are most interested in. Several of the subdivisions even have websites.
Now the lava zone thing is not scary to some folks. Even in the higher risk zones, the chances of any particular location being hit during any year is in the low single digits per cent wise. Somebody somewhere else on this forum did the math on this, so you may want to use the search function to look at that.
Pyroclastic explosions are extremely rare (and localized when they do happen) due to the plumbing of Kilauea, so Mount St. Helens type episodes don't seem to be a worry.
As for the land, it remains yours no matter how thickly it is covered by lava. As to whether the insurance will compensate for the lack of usefulness, you need to ask an insurance person.
If all this does not comfort you, there are some areas in Puna in lower risk zones, and you may want to concentrate your efforts there. Just google "lava zones Hawaii" and you will find maps.
Hope this helps,
Jerry