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Volcano acting up
quote:
Hey covld we talk about lava and a little less about kim im on island and im trying very hard not to freak but i an hearing nothing but scary things plz raise your hand if u have a feeling that something wicked this way comes



Aloha Glen -

Yes...back to the lava. I myself will not believe anything that anyone on this site says...unless it's a direct quote from the experts.

Check out http://www.lavainfo.us/ for the latest information.
Oh...and to answer your question...I do'nt have a feeling something wicked is coming my way.

"What? Me Worry?" - Alfred E. Nueman
"Vote with your money!"
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Scott, I apologize if my turn of phrase offended you. That certainly wasn't my intent. Those multitudes who disagree with me are more than welcome. Think of it as saying "sink or swim". Only a lead weight would be offended (LOL). But if you're not prepared for the only artery to Hilo being shut off, and this happened, wouldn't you be better on the other side of the flow? Maybe you should focus on the "get ready" part of the phrase. That's what my focus has been. Thirty years of oozing lava is pretty normal for a shield volcano's rift zone. No one should be surprised; No one should be unprepared. One last comment on Harry Kim: The Mayor is pretty much a figurehead compared to the power weilded by the county council. I like to put them in the hot seat for any infrastructure problems. Aloha, Greg



Edited by - greg on 08/25/2007 20:45:44
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Glen,
Thanks for clearing up your comment.
I would think that a planned evacuation route from Pahoa to Keaau should be part of any State or Counties administration? It’s an issue about safety more then anything else. The population of lower Puna has grown immensely over the last 15 years since the destruction of Kalapana. How long do you think any stranded population can survive cut off from food, medical and services? Remember it’s just not being cut off from Hilo as you put it, but things like electricity, water, and food.
I have first hand experience in this matter. I had the privilege to work in Homestead Florida shortly after hurricane Andrew. I saw first hand what the lack of service, food, medical, gas and electricity can do to a community and it isn’t a nice picture.
I read Rob Tuckers report for a second route as well as a few others and they all have taken the time to analyze the need for a second route out and they have taken in consideration the local geography to best utilize what we have to work with. It’s a matter of taking action for the community to help protect life.
Aloha,
Scott

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it cost when it’s free...now here come the taxes.....
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I'm no clairvoyant by any stretch of the imagination, however it seems to me that building a zillion-dollar alternate/evacuation route that runs pretty much precisely parallel to Hwy 130 would be an exercise in futility.

If what people are most concerned with is the alleviation of day-to-day traffic woes, sure, a parallel path would help.

But if Pele herself is folks' enormous imsonia-inducing worry, doesn't it stand to reason that this brand-spankin' new saviour-street's gonna get gobbled soon thereafter? Y'know...gravity and all?



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sp true, it would just take longer. However, it seems like they could make the road between HPP and Hawaiian Beaches passable again, and that's a long way from 130.

evacuation should not be a problem with surface flows. There would be plenty of time. Day to day living patterns would be extremely challenged if 130 were cut.

The alternate route out isn't getting done, IMHO, because it's not a civil defense project; it's a traffic alleviation project. Thus there are opponents amongst Puna residents as the government would have to exercise eminent domain, NIMBY sentiments (which I would likely have if it were my back yard!), and those who feel another road would just encourage more traffic.

There was a study done on the problems of evacuating Lower Puna, not from a slow lava flow, but from a hypothetical "incident" of hydrogen sulfide gas release from Puna Geothermal. The conclusion was it would be a mess.

However, that concern is easily dealt with; just believe that Puna Geothermal will not have an incident.

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food for thought from an article in the Journal of Vulcanology and Geothermal Research:
"The perception of volcanic risk in Kona communities from Mauna Loa and Huallai volcanoes, Hawaii"
quote:
our data show that respondents exhibit an ‘unrealistic optimism bias’ and infer that responsibility for community preparedness for future eruptions primarily rests with officials. We infer that these respondents may be less likely to attend to hazard information, react to warnings as directed, and undertake preparedness measures than other populations who perceive responsibility to lie with themselves.


Even though about Kona, I think it applies to all of us on the island.
I can only read the abstract (link below), because I don't subscribe to the journal.
Ed to remove overly long link.




Edited by - KathyH on 08/26/2007 10:18:41
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Malolo and KathyH are right. Sending the bulldozers down Railroad would only buy a little time. Sending them down Government Beach would only buy a little more. Can they build a suspension bridge spanning a lava flow?

Fortunately, the head honcho at the Volcano Observatory says this is NOT the big one we all need to dread. He has been saying that neither the volume nor type of lava of the current eruption are the sort that would threaten any inhabited areas. The continued advance does cause some folks to worry, though.

Special note to Glen:
Your romantic and well-written descriptions of your quest to move to Hawaii are quite worthy. Given your apparently nervous disposition, though, may I recommend either therapy or installing a lilikoi margarita machine in your palapa? Or both? Just a suggestion.

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quote:
I don’t have as much faith in Kim or his administration as do you, dakine.
I think it’s a bit irresponsible to wait over a month to hold your first briefing
on this event, no matter the out come of the eruption....


Dont take this the wrong way Scott Cuz I think the world of you .. and ... that eruption has been going on for 20+ years... so it stopped for a few minutes.. and restarted... Harry has made lots of civil defense messages when it was necessary. Personally my take is that like Jeff Hale's prediction, others were doing that and whipped everyone into a frenzy - I took it as only that - someone's uneducated guess as what might happen (sorry jeff!) - newer people all of a sudden really realized that they LIVE ON AN ACTIVE VOLCANO... this week in talking to oldsters - no one was really excited - some said oh yah we can see it again from so and so's backyard like in 1986, 1993, 199?, whatever. The problem is that all of sudden its not 200 people in Kehena cut off - its 10000 + people possibly cut off. personally, we got a 4 WD, we will make sure it stays up and running. Otherwise, keep on going! Could be worse - a tornado without warning!
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From a real newbie (moved in Aug 7), about this current lava flow. The maps of the flows and earthquakes look to me that the epicenter of activity is within the Park. I would worry if quakes started down the underground path that the lava traveled when Kapoho was startled.
At the same time, I'm looking for a high profile 4WD (just in case I need to travel the coastal path to buy groceries)! I'd use my dozer if need be!
The radio wasn't much help during that hurricane/flow/earthquake week - too busy with Rush Limbaugh - is there an FM station that is more locally oriented?

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KAPA - 100.3 FM

David

Ninole Resident
Ninole Resident
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