Is Hilo in danger if Mauna Loa erupts?

Is Hilo in danger if Mauna Loa erupts? The District of Hilo is relatively far from the most active part of Mauna Loa's Northeast Rift Zone (NERZ) and the slopes above the town are fairly gentle.

How close was the Mauna Loa eruption to Hilo?

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. The 1880-1881 eruption of Mauna Loa produced lava flows that came within 1.7 km (1.1 mi) of the Hilo Bay shoreline. This painting by Charles Furneaux, Night View 1880–1881, Eruption from Hilo Bay, illustrates the first two flows as they would have been in November 1880.

Is Hilo in a lava zone?

Lava Zone 3 According to the USGS 1% to 5% of Zone 3 has been covered in the last 200 years. The towns of Hilo, Keeau, Waikoloa, and some South Kona areas are all in Zone 3.

What is the safest lava zone on the Big Island?

Zone 9, considered the least hazardous region, consists of Kohala, a volcano that has not erupted for 60,000 years. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Lava-flow hazard zones map, Island of Hawai'i.

Can you walk to lava on Big Island?

If the park determines that access to the flow is safe you can go on a hike to see the lava. Because viewing conditions change on a daily basis you should look up the most recent information about the active surface flows shortly before you plan to see the lava yourself.

Is it safe to live in lava zone 3?

Zone 3 includes areas gradationally less hazardous than zone 2 because of greater distance from recently active vents or because the topography makes it less likely that flows will cover these areas. Developed areas between Kea`au and Pahoa and on the south side of Highway 11 between Kea`au and Volcano are in zone 3.

Which Hawaiian island is safest from volcanoes?

And this is not anything new either. Except for the occasional vog, the main islands of Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Molokai and Lanai are unaffected by the volcano. And even on the Big Island, it's business as usual. The only exception is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Puna District and nearby areas.

Has lava ever reached Hilo?

The last eruption before its longest period of quiet in recorded history— began in March 1984. In dramatic fashion, lava descended to the doorstep of Hilo, the island's population center.

Is Kona at risk from volcano?

Volcanic hazards in Kona (i.e. the western side of the island of Hawai'i) stem primarily from Mauna Loa and Hualalai volcanoes. The former has erupted 39 times since 1832. Lava flows were emplaced in Kona during seven of these eruptions and last impacted Kona in 1950.

Where is the highest volcanic risk zone in the world?

The Naples (Southern Italy) area has the highest volcanic risk in the World, due to the coexistence of three highly explosive volcanoes (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei and Ischia) with extremely dense urbanisation.