On June 27, a new lava flow emerged from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, flowing to the northeast at a rate varying from 2 meters per hour up to 15 meters per hour. In the months since, the "June 27 breakout" lava flow has crossed more than 12 miles and now threatens the small town of Pahoa. The molten rock has already claimed acres of forest, several roads, and small farm buildings, and buried the Pahoa Cemetery. Dozens of Pahoa residents have been evacuated ahead of the slow-moving disaster, as state and federal officials work to protect what they can and plan for the worst. If the flow continues as projected, dozens more houses and businesses are threatened, and a large section of Pahoa may be cut off from the rest of the island if the flow remains active and reaches the sea.
The news is old, but The Atlantic's photo essay provides many spectacular images, courtesy of the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 29 2014, @11:03PM
A couple of random comments that are peripherally related:
I grew up on the Big Island. One of the kids I went to school with had an uncle who worked in the volcano national park there. He literally fell into lava - he was walking on the crust over the flow and it broke under him. But he had a special suit (asbestos?) on and they were able to pull him out fast enough that he survived.
Also, my friend Obama lived there in Pahoa, [honoluluadvertiser.com] the town that is in the path of the flow.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 29 2014, @11:18PM
Did that uncle's peepee get burned?
(Score: 2) by carguy on Thursday October 30 2014, @12:21AM
Last winter we visited a friend who bought a foreclosed house in Hawaiian Paradise Park, about 8 miles N of Pahoa (where the current flow is). We had good Mexican food a few times at Luquins in Pahoa village, hope that the restaurant survives (along with the rest of this nice little village).
When you buy homeowners insurance in Hawaii, the cost depends on what "lava zone" you are in...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:05AM
Why would you go all the way to Hawaii, and then eat Mexican food? Why would you eat, you know, authentic Hawaiian food?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:11AM
Because Hawaii is the most culturally diverse place on the planet and therefore mexican food is hawaiian food. Just like japanese is hawaiian food and portugese is hawaiian food (I was putting chorizo on homemade pizza in Kona decades before it became trendy).
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:47AM
Hawaii the most culturally diverse place on the plantet?! What the hell?! Maybe it is, but only if you exclude New York City, Toronto, Vancouver, and London.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @02:34AM
All those places are single cities, not entire states.
Plus Hawaii is far more balanced than those, the largest single group is still less than 25% of the total population.
Compare that to Vancouver and NYC both of which just barely make it in under 50% while London and Toronto have super-majorities.
(Score: 2) by carguy on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:40AM
We also bought from local farmers markets and grilled a nice ahi tuna that was fresh caught by a roadside vendor (he had a large cooler with fish on ice, all mounted on a trailer). Other restaurants included very good fish & chips take-out, sushi, a big brew pub in Kona and a friendly hippie/organic restaurant in Hilo.
Don't recall seeing any restaurant advertizing authentic Hawaiian cooking, although they are probably on the Big Island somewhere...maybe they are more common in tourist-y areas around Honolulu on Oahu (just a wild guess)?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @02:42AM
They aren't too popular because if you like authentic hawaiian food it is because you grew up eating it at home and your family will cook it anytime you want it. They make it for the tourists but it is too bland (not much native spices in hawaii except for ginger). Poi is basically paste.
"Local" food though is great because it is fusion. Although some of the working-man's staples like loco-moco are heart-attacks on a plate.
(Score: 2) by captain normal on Thursday October 30 2014, @04:52PM
"authentic Hawaiian cooking"? Do you mean Spam and white rice?
When life isn't going right, go left.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:46AM
Pahoa? I thought Obama went to school at Punahoe.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 30 2014, @02:05AM
dig a fucking trench or get out of the way... thats not fast at all.
you are living on a volcano too. should have seen it comming.
(Score: 2) by carguy on Thursday October 30 2014, @03:03AM
Digging a significant trench may not be easy in the area around Pahoa, it looked like very thin soil over previous lava flow--in many places.
(Score: 2) by aristarchus on Thursday October 30 2014, @05:51AM
Best thing is a circle of sweet potatoes around your house. I don't know if that actually works. Or more importantly, if an old woman should come to your house asking for food, or any kind of assistance, you had better give it, since it could be Pele in disguise. Of course, it could just be a lost homeless woman, but some things are not worth chancing. If it is Pele, and you treat her right, she just might spare your property. On the other hand, you live downhill from an active volcano!!!!
(Score: 2) by rts008 on Thursday October 30 2014, @01:30PM
I think I shall wait until I read the headlines and summaries before drinking my coffee in the future. It is far more entertaining/interesting.
What made me decide this?
WTF???!!!??? OMG ZOMBIES!!!
Re-reading it revealed they evacuated the residents, not digging them up....Meh. ;-)