Mauna Loa Waking Up, "Time to Prep" articles, Can it hit lower Puna?

[Kiana]

In the last couple of days I've run across a couple/few news articles about our Mauna Loa becoming more active and encouraging residents to "prepare". Here are links to the two articles, which look to take info from the USGS site. The maps look like a flow could perhaps reach the northern part of Puna, i.e. parts of Mt. View, Shower Drive area in HPP and north. What do you wise Punawebbers know or think?

Big Island Video News article:
https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2021/...mauna-loa/

It even made Forbes:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/20...79ffc94d42

[Amrita]

For Puna perhaps worry more about eruption earthquakes than a Mauna Loa lava flow.

[Durian Fiend]

Watch the video you linked in your post. It indicates that a Mauna Loa flow destined to head towards Puna will mostl likely be channeled along a natural drainage that basically follows Highway 11.

Upper Puna has minimal risk, lower Puna practically none.

[ChunksterK]

Worst case Mauna Loa scenario for almost all of Puna is Hilo and all its amenities getting hit or even destroyed. The last eruption in '84 was scary in that regard, but stopped a few miles short of what was then the edge of town.

[randomq]

Hmm, life in Puna without access to Hilo. Could actually be a driver for positive change in the district. Strengthening local businesses and farmer's markets, more local commercial/industrial zoning, develop another route out of lower Puna to the west side, declare independence from Hawaii County and form our own government, actually receive federal aid directly instead of Hilo politicians spending it...

I'd vote Kalakoa for mayor of Puna, but we'd probably get stuck with a Marzo.

[Carey]

No one has mentioned the VOG effects of a normal (ie massive) lava flow from Mauna Loa in Puna...
Although the tradewinds will protect some in Puna on trade wind days....there is a good chance that the much higher VOG emissions of a Mauna Loa flow (as they are normally much more massive than Kilauea flows) will effect plant life & breathing quality in much of Puna, esp if Kona winds are prevalent during a southwest rift flow....
Everyone should be aware that Mauna Loa lava flows can effect most everyone on Island & Mauna Loa flows were high VOG events on most of the statesʻ islands...

[Kiana]

All interesting things to think about. Mahalo! I had wondered if any Punawebbers were around in 1984 when the lava approached Hilo, up around the Kaumana area I think? My hairdresser is a born and raised Hilo girl and she remembers it well, seeing the lava coming down the mountain at night, viewed from sea level. Wow. Getting cut off from Hilo would be a big deal, but I hadn't thought about the vog issue which would be huge being so close by. Maybe east Hawaii will get a break and the flow will go elsewhere. Time will tell. How much time, to wonder?

[MyManao]

I had wondered if any Punawebbers were around in 1984 when the lava approached Hilo, up around the Kaumana area I think?

The 1984 eruption of Mauna Loa was only 3 weeks long. By that time flows had reached within about 9 miles of the outskirts of Hilo. Though the distance traveled was impressive, by that time the lava flow's advance had been reduced to a crawl. As such, any threat to Hilo proper would have still been months away.

Watch the video you linked in your post.  It indicates that a Mauna Loa flow destined to head towards Puna will mostl likely be channeled along a natural drainage that basically follows Highway 11.

Upper Puna has minimal risk, lower Puna practically none.

That 'natural drainage' you refer to could actually be very impacting to Puna.

As I said above, the flow that threatened Hilo in 1984 came within a few miles of town before it was slowed by the loss of heat experienced by lava flowing over that distance. So, using that model, and assuming the next Mauna Loa East Rift eruption is from the same area as the last, and listening to the speculation that the next eruption in that area is likely to flow towards the south side of the rift, we can imagine the flow reaching to.. maybe Eden Rock.. Fern Acres... before it runs out of steam?

And do keep in mind, by the blue lines.. i.e., the paths water would take flowing from that area (the 9,000 foot elevation near Red Hill) the flows would go through the Volcano Farm Lots before glancing off of Kilauea in the Akasuka Orchids area and fanning out through Fern Forest and below..

Yeah, I suspect Mauna Loa could be for more impacting to Puna than some imagine...



Picture by David Little..
https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/lava-f...above-town

And hey, if it doesn't come this side again, imagine if it goes to the West! This...

https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa...e-eruption

is an awesome read.. a real page turner.

[randomq]

"At 12:20 a.m. on June 2, the Honokua flow was approximately 1.5 km above Highway 11. By 12:30 a.m., ‘a‘ā flows it crossed Highway 11 at the town of Pāhoehoe, taking out a gas station, the post office, and several homes."

Wow. Bad night to be sleepy or drunk. 10 minutes from seeing it a mile away to having it destroy your home...

[Durian Fiend]

According to flow maps I've seen it's been at least 4,000 years since Mauna Loa has hit Puna.