By Kim Steutermann Rogers
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It’s more than just lava
Eruption temperatures can reach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, plenty hot enough to burn homes and forests to the ground. But even if lava isn’t marching down your street, potentially lethal rates of sulfur dioxide gas may be present up to a half-mile away from the eruption site. Then, there is the threat of earthquakes. On May 4, after a series of strengthening earthquakes, a magnitude 6.9 temblor—Hawaii’s strongest quake in more than 40 years—struck the south flank of Kīlauea.
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There is such a thing as volcano preparedness
Using the location of historical eruptive sites, past lava coverage, and current topography, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) created a map of Hawaii Island ranking areas for the threat of lava hazards. Turns out, Leilani Estates sits smack in an area of highest threat—Zone 1—and last saw an eruption along its southernmost boundary in 1955. The northwest corner of the island, where the volcano known as Kohala has not erupted for 60,000 years, sits in Zone 9, considered the least hazardous region. The purpose of the map is to encourage residents to understand the threats they face and to make a plan for evacuation before an emergency arises.
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