Subject: Kīlauea Lava has reached Pahoa
From: Alex Kemp
Date: Saturday, 08 November 2014 02:34:11 +0000
To: Oliver Kemp, Micaela Kemp, Liisa Kemp, Davin Kemp

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/index.php?newSearch=true&display=custom&volcano=1&resultsPerPage=20

You may remember my email Lava from Hawaiian volcano Kilauea is Threatening Pahoa on 27 October. The lava continued to flow north-east towards Pāhoa and got to within 155 metres (170 yards) of Pāhoa Village Road on 30 October, then just stopped there (the photo below was taken at 10am 29 October; at 11:30am the flow front was 215m (235 yards) from Pāhoa Village Road):

Kilauea lava flow approaching Pāhoa Village Road (10am 29 October)

That may seem like good news, and especially if you look at this next photo, taken on October 25 (the lava flow had crossed Cemetery Road that early morning; this photo was taken near the flow front on the same day):

Kilauea lava flow now beyond Cemetery Road (October 25)

However, whilst the flow front is currently stationary, there are breakouts all along the rest of the flow, filling in depressions. This next photo was taken on November 6 and is also near the cemetery, now well behind the flow front:

Kilauea lava flow breakout near the cemetery (November 6)

Looking at a map of that part of Hawaii, it is clear the way that the flow is heading downhill towards the sea (with, unfortunately, Pāhoa between the two):

A map of the current flow

Finally, and to give some idea of the scale of it all, here is a photo taken in the afternoon of 24 October as the flow front approached Cemetery Road & the Cemetery:

Coming to greet you from 12 miles (19km) away, the outflow of Puʻu ʻŌʻō

The flow front was just 135m (150 yards) from Cemetery Rd./Apaʻa St.. By the following day it had crossed the road, and in the afternoon was bearing down on the Cemetery. By the next day (26th) it had reached the Cemetery and, in the afternoon, engulfed it. In the far distance you can see the source for this lava, Puʻu ʻŌʻō (top of photograph), which is nearly 19km (12 miles) away.

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Alex Kemp