Kilauea Eruption: More fissures erupt in Leilani Estates, at least 26 homes lost as of Sunday (May 6)

7 years ago

UPDATED (8:30 p.m. on 5/6/2018)

This is a Civil Defense update for 8:30 p.m., Saturday, May 6, 2018.

Residents of Leilani Subdivision are reminded that the area was closed at 6 p.m. Please exit the area. The area will be opened Monday (May 7) at 7 a.m. if conditions are favorable.

People in the area South of Leilani between Kupono and Mohala must exit through Pohoiki Road.

This is your Hawai’i County Civil Defense Agency.

Lava moving down Makamae Street in Leilani Estates at 9:32 a.m. on May 6, 2018. Video taken Sunday, May 6, 2018 courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey

Hawaii County Civil Defense interactive map of roadblocks, subdivisions, and eruption fissures: https://tinyurl.com/punalava

Hawaii County Civil Defense 4:30 p.m. audio message

This is a Civil Defense update for 5:30 p.m., Sunday, May 6, 2018.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory confirms that active venting of lava and hazardous fumes continues in Leilani Estates Subdivision. Since the onset of this eruption, a total of 10 fissures have emerged, and 26 homes have been destroyed.

Due to the eruption, the following are issued:

Conditions permitting, Leilani Estates residents will be allowed to continue evacuation to check on their property from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day until further notice.
Authorities on scene will determine what areas will be safe for you to enter. Please be aware that because of unstable conditions that involve toxic gas, earthquakes and lava activities, lines of safety can change at any time. You must be prepared to leave areas if required.
Hawaii Electric Light Company is working to try to keep power online as best as possible. Please be aware that HELCO strongly requires all residents and responders to treat all downed lines as live. Under no circumstances are you to approach or touch downed lines.
The Department of Water Supply are working to establish a temporary bypass waterline to restore water service to the makai lower Puna areas of Pohoiki, Vacationland, and Kapoho. A water truck is located near the Vacationland mailboxes for public use. We will keep you updated on this progress.
No access is allowed at this time for residents of Lanipuna Gardens due to dangerous volcanic gases.
Please, the residents of Leilani need your help. This is not the time for sightseeing. You can help tremendously by staying out of the area.
Department of Education announced Pahoa High, Intermediate and Elementary will be open tomorrow. Kua O Ka La, Hawaii Academy of Arts and Sciences, Nawahiokalaniopuâ€™u and Ke Ana Laâ€™ahana are closed tomorrow.
The Hawaii County Police Department and the Prosecutorâ€™s Office have established a policy of zero tolerance towards looting or vandalism. Under Emergency Provisions, any looting or vandalism will be treated as a felony.
The residents of Leilani Estates are going through a very difficult time. We ask for your understanding. We ask for your help.

County, State, and Federal partners continue to monitor the situation. You will be informed of any conditions that affect your safety.

This map overlays a georegistered mosaic of thermal images collected during a helicopter overflight of the fissures in Leilani Estates, Island of Hawaiâ€˜i, at 10:45 a.m. HST on May 5. The base is a copyrighted satellite image (used with permission) provided by Digital Globe. Temperature in the thermal image is displayed as gray-scale values, with the brightest pixels indicating the hottest areas (white shows active breakouts). During the overflight, fissure 7 stands out as the first fissure to produce a small lava flow. When the thermal images were collected, the flow was about 260 m (853 ft) long. The thermal map was constructed by stitching many overlapping oblique thermal images collected by a handheld thermal camera during a helicopter overflight of the flow field.

Time-lapse movie of Halemaumau Overlook Vent. April 26, 2018 to May 6, 2018. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

Time-lapse thermal image movie of Halemaumau Overlook Vent. April 26, 2018 to May 6, 2018. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

May 6, 2018 HUGE Fissure Eruption from Mick Kalber on Vimeo.

Video courtesy of Tropical Visions Video with air transportation by Paradise Helicopters.