Kilauea Erupts

Above, trees ablaze by lava from Kilauea volcano. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. It just happened sooner. And, it was expected.

Kilauea erupted on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Hawaii News Now reported:

PUNA, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Residents in Puna's Leilani Estates subdivision fled with little more than the clothes on their backs Thursday night after an eruption in Kilauea's east rift zone created a fissure in the community, spewing lava into the air as high as utility poles, covering roads and nearing several homes.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the community, home to about 1,700 people, and it's not yet clear when residents will be able to return home. 

Two emergency shelters have been opened for evacuees — one at Pahoa Community and the Keaau Community centers — and a number of families had hunkered down at the facilities for the night.

I flew over Kilauea two years ago with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters. It was an interesting experience and one I recommend doing. A ten minute video clip is here.

To read more, go here.