News and Information about the Pahoa Lava Flow 2014-2015

Stay in the house that inspired 'The Punatics'

Visiting Puna? Want to check out the Pahoa lava flow? Stay at the small white house on a hill that inspired The Punatics.

Located just a few minutes from Pahoa Village, and a great hub for visiting the sites in east Hawaii, this off-the-grid farmhouse sits on 5 open acres at the end of a private road.

Check out the Pohoiki Road Farmhouse on Airbnb.

Apr 25, 2015

Halema'uma'u is a small crater that sits within the larger caldera at the summit of Kilauea. For the past few weeks the level of lava lake within Halema'uma'u has been rising. On April 24, the active top of the lake became visible, and it has been drawing crowds to Volcanoes National Park to witness it.

© 2015 USGS HVO
Full story: Big Island Now 4/24/2015

Apr 1, 2015

Quite a lot has changed over the last two months. The flow front threatening Pahoa village has been deemed pau. The grocery store re-opened. And apparently planning has resumed on a new shopping plaza along Pahoa Village Road, in the land by the cinder company.

Yellow circles indicate primary areas lava flow activity. (Click image to see full-size.)
Source images © 2015 USGS HVO.

Feb 2, 2015

January has proven to be a comparatively quiet month, with the flow front moving dodgingly forward, then stalling, and continuing to widen upslope. Breakouts appear regularly on the existing lava pad, even relatively close to the front.

We've stopped taking bets on when the lava will hit Highway 130. Pele is unpredictable.

On the business side of things,ACE Hardware has opened in Malama Market on Sunday Feb 1, 2015.

Source: USGS - http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/maps/ © 2015 USGS HVO

Source: USGS Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory 1/6/2015 © 2015 USGS HVO

Dec 31, 2014

Pele took a slight respite over the holidays. By then the Pahoa Marketplace was mostly a ghost town. While the very front tips of the flow have stalled about half a mile from the shopping center, more breakouts are appearing upslope, suggesting that the flow is widening. Where it will go next is, as always, a mystery.

Source: Big Island Video News 12/31/2014 © 2014 Big Island Video News

Source: USGS HVO © USGS HVO

Dec 18, 2014

Malama Market Closes. On Thursday the 18th Malama Market closed down. Two days prior, the gas station stopped operation. Most businesses in the Pahoa Marketplace are closing, although Jungle Love and the propane dealer said they'd stick it out. On Saturday, Long's Drugs/CVS, which is just outside the Marketplace, will be closing.

Dec 17, 2014

Public Lava Viewing Area Opened

One finger of the lava flow stopped literally at the curb of the transfer station. The County has turned the site into an instructional lava viewing area where you can get up close to the drying lava.

Source:© Big Island Now

Nov 17, 2014

The front edge of the lava flow stopped right outside Alfred Lee's berm. Upslope and around the Transfer Station, however, the breakouts are expanding and increasing the overall width of the flow plain.

11-16-2014. Aerial shot of the stalled flow front and Pahoa Town. © Tropical Visions Video

11-15-2014. A view of the active flow upslope and around the Transfer Station © USGS

11-17-2014. Closeup of the lava lobe at the Transfer Station. © USGS. Watch video: BIVN

11-17-2014. Approaching the lava flow along Cemetery Road. © USGS. Watch video: BIVN

11/15/2014. Stalled Pahoa lava flow at Alfred Lee's house in town. © Tropical Visions Video

Oct 29, 2014

Lava inches toward Village Road in Pahoa. Having passed through a portion of the Buddhist cemetery, the flow is approaching a handful of properties which stand between it and the Road that runs through the center of town. One homeowner along Pahoa Village Road has built a berm of cinder rock and soil to try and salvage his home. In the second photo below, Pele takes out a pile of old tires.

© USGS HVO

© Big Island Video News

Oct 25, 2014

Lava crosses Apa'a Street. Early on Sunday morning October 25th, around 3:50am, the lava reached a milestone of sorts: It bypassed the transfer station and crossed Apa'a Street / Cemetery Road. The photo below shows the flow on Saturday afternoon as it approaches Apa'a St.

© Ena Media Hawaii

Oct 13, 2014

Lava is still moving along the June 27th breakout, aka the Pahoa Flow. It has slowed in the past few days and currently remains about half a mile from the Transfer Station along Cemetery Road.

© USGS HVO

© USGS HVO