Threat to Pahoa?!

[Kelena]

With the Star-Bulletin article, I am starting to hear the first few notes of the "Jaws" theme in my ears.

[Big_Island]

125 miles to Hilo??? dauumm thats a long way....

Hawaii County officials are planning for the possibility, as yet remote, that lava from Kilauea Volcano will cross Highway 130, cutting off access to a number of Puna communities.

"I'm trying not to freak out," said County Councilwoman Emily Naeole, whose Makuu Hawaiian Homes residence stands in a possible lava path.

Right now the flows, 12 miles from the highway, consist of chunky aa, which moves slowly, but the possibility remains that they could turn to more fluid and fast-moving pahoehoe.

"Kilauea Volcano has never had a long-lived continuous eruption from a single vent that produced only aa flows," says volcano scientist Jim Kauahikaua.

If the road is cut, one alternative would be to bulldoze a connection to Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which would make the Puna-Hilo commute 125 miles, up from 36.


STAR-BULLETIN

[Kelena]

<<If the road is cut, one alternative would be to bulldoze a connection to Chain of Craters Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which would make the Puna-Hilo commute 125 miles, up from 36.>>

This part of the article seems imprecise to me. Let's say the lava crosses 130 just North of Pahoa. All of those North of the flow will have the same commute they always have, and not 120 miles. It is not 36 miles from my house to Hilo. It is 17 miles. So, the article should say something like "Those in the Kehena area, for example, would have a much longer commute....".

By the way, is it really 125 miles from the bottom of Chain of Craters road to Hilo? I thought it was more like 45.

Also I can kind of see now why there has been no rush to find an alternate route. Let's say the flow makes it to 130, and the alternate route is Beach Road. If it makes it to 130, chances of it making it to Beach Road are pretty high.

Anyway, I understand now why my entire property is covered with pahoehoe.

[mella l]

Aloha and welcome to the forum Cal and thank you for the link. Congratulations and good luck on the escrow!

Of course with more information comes more questions! I wish this map had the Chain of Craters road, and potential expansion on it. Picky, demanding, sheesh!

Mella L

PS Wake up Glen "Anyway, I understand now why my entire property is covered with pahoehoe", you are dreaming, hallucinating and need a relaxant dear one! Or a MaiTai! deep breath O00HhhhhMMMMMMMM

Edited by - mella l on 09/10/2007 06:42:01

[Carolann R]

I'm still hoping that this kind of alternate route is needed far, far in the future. I'd like to think that too much traffic is what keeps me from getting to Hilo in any hurry in the morning hours.

I realize there's a flow happening, but not ready to have my house burned or blocked just yet.

Carrie

"All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it." Bob Newhart

[Kelena]

Carrie,

The people who actually know something about this, the scientists at Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory, perceive no immediate threat. Something would have to change, or this eruption would have to go one for a long time before there is anything to get alarmed about.

I'm getting alarmed in advance though, so I can get it out of the way..... : )

[jade]

If you look at the article: )http://starbulletin.com/2007/09/10/news/story01.html) they updated the map where the potential lava would flow - HPP. Okay I'm worried now. How do they evacuate thousands of people where would you go?

[Punamom]

The path on the map looks like its the existing lava tube that runs under OL/HPP. So what happens when the lava gets into an existing (UNDERGROUND)lava tube,what if its one thats filled with methane gas? Will it explode all the cesspools in its path to the ocean?

I can't even believe anybody thinks people in Puna will just live with the lava cutting us in half,acid rain,fumes,fear,danger.Its not a "huge economic effect" it would be economic death for all of east hawaii.
"Fool me once shame on you,fool me twice shame on me" Somebody better do something before its too late.Any vigilante bulldozer operators out there?

Its a strange coincidence that the last time this happened the Japanese were heavily invested in hawaii and their economy tanked.
Now the lavas on the other side,the Americans are heavily invested in hawaii and their economy is beginning to tank. freaky!

[JerryCarr]

The Star-Bulletin map is a simplified version of the one done by Jim Kauahikaua in his excellent study posted earlier in the "Volcano Acting Up" thread. http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1264/ Anyone in Puna who has not read that study should. This guy is a well-regarded scientist, not a politician, so he has no other agenda than to explain the scientific facts and probabilities. His report, while sobering in parts, is by no means panic-inducing.

Glen's approach of being alarmed now so as to get it out of the way actually has merit. By the time, God and Madame Pele forbid, that anything serious happens, he will probably have worked through the anxiety and used his intellectual skills to come up with a kick-ass coping plan. Others need to save their worrying for later in order to use it to galvanize themselves into effective action. Hey, whatever works for you, right?

Cheerfully coping nicely,
Jerry

[Kapohocat]

quote:

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...So what happens when the lava gets into an existing (UNDERGROUND)lava tube,what if its one thats filled with methane gas? Will it explode all the cesspools in its path to the ocean?......

---

This gave me a real out loud laugh!!! Cant you just visualize all that poop flying in the air??? hahahahaha! Shoulda gone septic! hahaha

Okay now that I had that good laugh - my friend in HA said that a few weeks ago her pond was "bubbling" - big plopping bubbles not jacuzzi kind - it lasted a few hours till the pond was covered (about 30' diameter) with "foam-like" substance. She thought it odd but didnt notify anyone - having lived up there many many years she just figured it was gas escaping from a tube. She had collapsed a number of tubes when she was bulldozing 25+ years ago. Hasnt happened since then.