Kilauea volcano erupts on Hawaii’s Big Island following a series of earthquakes. Residents urged to stay indoors
The following written content from NELSON OLIVEIRA
The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted Sunday night following a series of earthquakes, authorities said.
The U.S. Geological Survey and the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park urged residents to stay indoors, saying the situation was “rapidly evolving.” Officials also raised Kilauea’s volcano alert to “Warning” level and its aviation color code to red.
Stunning images posted by the two agencies on social media showed a massive steam and gas plume above the crater.
“Lava contained within the crater illuminates the steam produced by the lava interacting with, and boiling off, the summit water lake that resided in the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater,” the Geological Survey said in a tweet featuring a photo of the gas cloud.
Kilauea is one most active volcanoes in the world. The last major eruption was in 2018, when rivers of molten rock obliterated more than 700 homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.
It was still unclear Monday if the latest eruption would force a massive evacuation, but authorities urged “all communities” on or near Kilauea’s summit and rift zones to “be prepared.”
The National Weather Service in Honolulu also warned residents over the Kau district and nearby areas about fallen ash from the volcano.
“Avoid excessive exposure to ash which is an eye and respiratory irritant,” the agency said in an advisory. “Those with respiratory sensitivities should take extra precaution to minimize exposure.”
Kilauea has been actively erupting along its East Rift Zone for more than three decades. The volcano has several craters and is at a relatively low elevation.
Sunday’s eruption was detected after a 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck beneath the Kilaeua’s south flank. Officials had observed a significant increase in the rate of earthquakes in the area since at least September. Read more from Daily News
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