At least two more homes in Kapoho Beach Lots are expected to be damaged or destroyed today.
That’s according to Janet Snyder, spokeswoman for Mayor Harry Kim, who said the news came from Maggie Mangan of the U.S. Geological Survey during this morning’s briefing of emergency personnel at Hawaii County Civil Defense headquarters in Hilo.
The homes are in the path of a breakout from the northern side of the flow front coming from fissure No. 8 in Kilauea volcano’s lower East Rift Zone.
According to Snyder, the Hawaii Fire Department is going to survey the area to make sure nobody’s in those homes. Some Kapoho residents whose homes are still standing have chosen to stay rather than evacuate.
Mangan reportedly said there are numerous spillovers from fissure No. 8, but none beyond the existing lava field. The channel has spillovers at three different locations: the intersection of Pohoiki Road and Highway 132, aka “the Y”; north of Kahukai Street; and on Luana Street. The flow is moving almost twice as fast than it had been, at about 18 mph as opposed to 10 mph.
The flow front is about 1,200 meters, about 4,000 feet from Ahalanui Beach Park, aka Warm Ponds.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.