Lava From the Mauna Loa Volcano Could Sever a Major Highway on Hawaii's Big Island

A line of cars going to visit a virtually unstoppable force of nature

A lava flow is heading toward one of the most important highways in Hawaii, and there’s not much anyone can do to stop it. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Mauna Loa, one of the five volcanoes that form Hawaii’s “Big Island,” began erupting at approximately 11:30 p.m. on November 27th. Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, started spouting fountains of lava close to 150 feet high. As the eruption continued, it became evident that the flow of lava was endangering the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. And it’s not like you can just redirect hot lava.

A status report published on Sunday by the USGS stated that the lava flow front was 2.25 miles from the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. This road is the only inland connection between the Big Island’s two most populated areas, Hilo on the east coast and Kailua-Kona on the west coast. The report also stated that the flow was advancing at an average speed of 40 feet per hour (0.0076 miles per hour), slowing from a peak of 0.025 miles per hour reported on Thursday. But the USGS pointed out that the flow’s speed and direction could be highly variable, making it difficult to predict when, or if, the hot laval will reach the roadway.

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