Published: December 19,2014
It's on the move again.
A lava flow from the active Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island was creeping toward a market that supplies food and other necessities for residents in the town of Pahoa. According to the Associated Press, the flow was 1,200 to 1,300 yards from the edge of the Pahoa Marketplace and moved about 165 yards Thursday, a Hawaii County official said.
The flow's pace can slow down or accelerate, but at its current speed, the lava is projected to reach the marketplace in six days, the AP also noted. If the flow continues its encroachment on the town, the market's electricity will be cut three days before the flow reaches the area, and a gas station nearby has already removed the fuel from its tanks. Employees will finish clearing sludge and vapors from those tanks on Friday.
(MORE: Volcano Erupts in Cape Verde, Destroying Entire Towns)
"They're losing at this point their only supermarket, hardware store, one of three gas stations," Hawaii County civil defense administrator Darryl Oliveira said in the AP report.
There is no immediate threat to homes in the area, Hawaii County's website said, but officials will keep residents updated on the possibility of evacuations. They're also asking drivers to be extra cautious in the area.
The lava flow began its 13-mile trek from Kilauea on June 27. A separate flow front came within feet of the main road in Pahoa before stalling out in October. After that, a new flow front began moving toward the northern edge of the town and has become the latest threat, SF Gate reports.
Pahoa is a small mountain town with fewer than 1,000 residents, according to USA Today.
A lava flow from the active Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island was creeping toward a market that supplies food and other necessities for residents in the town of Pahoa. According to the Associated Press, the flow was 1,200 to 1,300 yards from the edge of the Pahoa Marketplace and moved about 165 yards Thursday, a Hawaii County official said.
The flow's pace can slow down or accelerate, but at its current speed, the lava is projected to reach the marketplace in six days, the AP also noted. If the flow continues its encroachment on the town, the market's electricity will be cut three days before the flow reaches the area, and a gas station nearby has already removed the fuel from its tanks. Employees will finish clearing sludge and vapors from those tanks on Friday.
(MORE: Volcano Erupts in Cape Verde, Destroying Entire Towns)
"They're losing at this point their only supermarket, hardware store, one of three gas stations," Hawaii County civil defense administrator Darryl Oliveira said in the AP report.
There is no immediate threat to homes in the area, Hawaii County's website said, but officials will keep residents updated on the possibility of evacuations. They're also asking drivers to be extra cautious in the area.
The lava flow began its 13-mile trek from Kilauea on June 27. A separate flow front came within feet of the main road in Pahoa before stalling out in October. After that, a new flow front began moving toward the northern edge of the town and has become the latest threat, SF Gate reports.
Pahoa is a small mountain town with fewer than 1,000 residents, according to USA Today.
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