Hawaii braces for major eruption, evacuation of 2000

vey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory HVO, the Honolulu StarAdvertiser reports.

‘‘There may not be any additional warning before the magma actually starts moving up to the surface. If you are in your car, keep the windows closed,’’ the alert said. ‘‘Ash fallout may cause poor driving conditions, due to limited visibility and slippery driving conditions. Drive with extreme caution, or pull over and park.’’

The biggest threat is to residents of the Lower Puna area, a southeast corner of the island, which could get cut off from evacuation routes if fissures cut Route 132.

Civil Defence officials said Lower Puna residents in the towns of Kapoho and Kalapana should stay alert for possible volcanic eruption and gas emissions, and ‘‘be prepared to evacuate immediately’’.

The Hawaii National Guard is prepared, with only 90-minutes notice, to rescue some 2000 people by ground convoy in troop- carrying vehicles and, if necessary, in Blackhawk or Chinook helicopters.

‘‘We can move 226 people in one convoy. So we could move 226 at once with about an hour and a half notice, and we would drop them off somewhere.

‘‘The vehicles could come back, and we would just do that round-robin.’’ Lieutenant Colonel Shawn Tsuha tells KHON-TV.

Kilauea erupted last week, sending 1200 degrees Celsius lava bursting through cracks into people’s backyards in the Leilani Estates neighbourhood that destroyed 36 structures, including 26 homes. As the magma shifted underground, a magnitude-6.9 earthquake also rocked the Big Island.

President Donald Trump on Saturday declared a major disaster on the Big Island.

The move will make federal financial assistance available to state and local governments as they repair roads, public parks, schools and water pipes damaged by the eruption. – USA Today