Hawaii Volcano: Lava Flow Completely Fills The Beautiful Kapoho Bay

Lava from a fissure flowing into the ocean at Kapoho Bay at the town of Kapoho on the island of Hawaii. See the structure at lower left for scale. The flow front was about a half-mile wide, with lava building a delta a few hundred yards into the bay. Hundreds of homes were destroyed overnight. (U.S. Geological Survey)

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano claimed its latest victim, the picturesque Kapoho Bay as it filled the bay with molten lava flows. Overnight, hundreds of homes were destroyed as rivers of lava poured into oceanfront communities.

Just a few days ago Kapoho Bay was a beautiful vacation destination, filled with vacation homes, beautiful beaches and clear water. Today, the bay is filled with a lava field that extends 0.8 miles from the old bay, completely reshaping the coastline of Hawaii.

Aerial view of ocean entry at Kapoho Bay, Hawaii on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. Lava destroyed hundreds of homes in mostly rural Hawaii area overnight, a county spokeswoman said Tuesday. A morning overflight confirmed that lava completely filled Kapoho Bay, inundated most of Vacationland and covered all but the northern part of Kapoho Beach Lots, scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. (U.S. Geological Survey)

The recent lava flows are the most destructive since Kilauea volcano began to profusely erupt over a month ago. Early on in the eruption, Leilani Estates and the Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions were destroyed by lava flows and volcanic bombs of rock and ash.

With the recent lava flows in Kapoho Bay, Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots are now largely destroyed. Officials with the Hawaii County Civil Defense said that likely most of the homes have been destroyed of the nearly 500 in the two communities. Among the destroyed homes is Mayor Harry Kim’s second vacation home in Vacationland.

Aerial videos show the lava flow hitting the Pacific Ocean as it turns into plumes of toxic hydrochloric acid steam and glass fragments, called laze. As waves enter the bay, they are cracking and jostling the lava, which lithifies on contact with the relatively cold ocean water.

The lava running into Kapoho Bay is being fed by channelized flow from fissure 8 according to the USGS. The rivers of lava accompany 150 to 180 feet high lava fountains fed by fissure 8.

Location of the latest Kilauea Volcano lava flows

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the island on Tuesday morning, the latest jolt associated with the eruptions. According to the USGS, the big island of Hawaii has been hit by 9,900 earthquakes since May 4th. In addition, the lava completely evaporated and filled Green Lake, the largest freshwater lake on the island in a matter of hours.

Lava from Kilauea Volcano flows into the Pacific Ocean along Kapoho coast, on the east side of Hawaii’s Big Island on May 31, 2018. Much of these flows are originating from Fissure 8 located in Leilani Estates in Pahoa, Hawaii. The Big Island, is one of eight main islands that make up Hawaii state, is struggling with tourist bookings following the Kilauea volcano eruptions, with summer bookings at the island down 50 percent. Officials stress that the eruptions have thus far only affected a small portion of the island. (Don Smith/Getty Images)

As hundreds of homes are destroyed by lava flows and families are displaced, Hawaii is forced to manage a difficult situation. Where will the people live whose homes were destroyed and now lies a barren lava field? Do they still own the fee simple lease on the land? Can they ever move back?

There aren’t clear answers to these questions yet, but likely many of the families will have to resettle either elsewhere on the island or move off the island. In addition, the government of Hawaii must now decide what to do with newly created land, something no other state has to manage.

Kapoho before lava flows destroyed the bay.

The latest string of lava flows, destroyed homes, and reshaped coastline reminds us that Hawaii is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Those that live on the island are merely Pele’s tenants and eviction requires no forewarning.