Civil Defense issued an advisory at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, stating that the lava flow from the Kilauea volcano has not advanced since Thursday although it remains active. Breakouts have been observed and are being closely monitored, including an active one detected on the north side of the flow front making its way northeast and some above the area of Apa'a street in the County of Hawai'i.
Part of the Civil Defense advisory reads:
The flow front remains 480 feet from Pāhoa Village Road. The front continues to show signs of widening with breakouts along the flanks or margins and is approximately 60 yards wide."
The statement advises motorists to take caution along Highway 130, especially close to the Post Office Road intersection. Also, the area of the Pāhoa Village Road that lies between the Post Office Road and Apa'a is closed. Restricted areas are limited to residents only, and they are advised to not take unauthorized persons within these zones.
The residents who live in the flow path are already on an evacuation advisory and have been informed of the possibility of evacuation. There are safety and Civil Defense personnel in the area who are observing the situation 24 hours a day.
As contingency measures, two gravel roads have been built as alternate routes, and 30-foot heat resistant poles have been erected so residents can continue to have power. The Hawaiian National Guard has also reportedly deployed 83 troops to the area on Thursday.
According to the National Geographic, the flow has, as of Oct. 29, destroyed a storage shed. It has already covered a cemetery and destroyed fences, but should it continue to move in its current direction, it is expected to head toward an area that is not heavily populated.
The flow front could still widen, but Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira said, "We're very fortunate, because the number and concentration of structures is very low in this area."
Kilauea is an active volcano in the Big Island of Hawaii, and its current eruption has been going on since 1983. The most recent threat started in summer when lava started flowing on the north side from a newly-opened fissure, deviating from its previous southward flow.
