Posted on 04/08/2008 9:18:37 PM PDT by Proud2BAmerican
Volcano-area residents advised to evacuate
Shifting winds lead to Big Isle civil defense alert
Rod Thompson Helen Altonn
rthompson@starbulletin.com
| haltonn@starbulletin.com
HILO >> Hilo and surrounding areas were blanketed with sulfur dioxide fumes from Kilauea volcano this morning while the Volcano Village area and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 30 miles away, braced for conditions that may require evacuations later today.
Two gas monitors in the park showed “green” conditions this morning, meaning mere background levels of the gas, but a change in winds later today was expected to bring conditions in neighboring Volcano to Hawaii County’s purple condition, the highest warning level, and red condition, the second highest.
“The park is saying it’s good up there. It’s generally clear in Volcano,” state Health Department official John Peard said at 8:30 a.m.
Hawaii County Civil Defense issued a warning last night based on expected conditions today, advising evacuations as a precaution from Mauna Loa Estates, Ohia Estates, Volcano Village, Keauhou Ranch, and the Volcano Golf Course Subdivision.
An evacuation center was opened at 6:30 a.m. in Hilo at Aunty Sally Kaleohano’s Luau Hale, a county facility on the same grounds where the Merrie Monarch Festival took place last week. A Red Cross official at the luau house said no evacuees had arrived, probably because conditions remained good in Volcano.
Conditions in Hilo and parts of the lower Puna District were a different story. In some areas, sulfur dioxide-laden vog reduced visibility to half a mile, although sight distances improved as the morning warmed up.
Despite a dirty-gray appearance, the gas level in Hilo wasn’t especially high, a Civil Defense statement said.
On the county’s color-coded alert system for sulfur dioxide, Hilo conditions were only yellow (or “trace”), the lowest alert level. But even that level could be a problem for people with certain medical conditions, as well as very young and very old people.
At Civil Defense headquarters, county, state, and federal officials prepared for conditions later today that could go into the county’s purple and red status, the two highest levels.
Irked that he had found out about the vog conditions early today from a resident’s phone call, Kim told Civil Defense officials, “You will tell me when conditions change.”
Kim was being assisted by a National Guard hazards unit, which deployed four mobile teams taking as readings as well as monitoring five fixed data sites.
An official from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was at the Civil Defense building and Kim said he was asking for more EPA help.
“I need all the help I can get because we’re dealing with a new ball park,” he said.
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park also was open today and “it definitely has been busy,” said Michael Larson, incident information officer. “People are excited about the activity.” The park’s Jaggar Museum was reopened after being briefly closed this morning, however Chain of Craters Drive, which just reopened Thursday, closed again today.
Marc Swanson, deputy director of nearby Kilauea Military Camp, said the camp was open for business, with 186 guests. “Although everything is sounding good now, safety for our guests is No. 1. We’re monitoring it very, very closely.”
The sulfur dioxide from Kilauea volcano comes from two sources, Halemaumau Crater at the summit and Puu Oo on the east rift zone. In February, sulfur dioxide from Halemaumau increased dramatically after a gas vent eruption. Until today, tradewinds had blown the noxious gas over mostly unpopulated areas.
Tradewinds are expected to return tomorrow and provide some relief from the sulfur dioxide fumes.
Well, that stinks..
I suppose it’s a way of life. Back in the late 80s lava flows decimated villages on the south side of the island, and now were homes once stood is buried deep in the thick black lava. Oddly enough the lava went around the sacred grounds.
I guess though they should count their blessings that Kilauea doesn’t have Pinatubo-sized eruptions on a regular basis...
I was near this volcano - in Kailua-Kona , just a week ago ! The volcano had spewed quite a bit of ash the day before we arrived ( 3/27 ) .
You are so right it stinks we were just there in Kona and all over the island for a month..the VOG was horrible all the time in Kona...and when it rained it stunk thoroughly stunk. I liked to call it Mongoose pee...just yuky stuff.
A good idea, I'd say! Goes right along with "don't floss your teeth with a chainsaw."
Mark
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