2018-05-17 Eruption Update for 1100

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CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY Date: May 17, 2018 MEDIA UPDATE Time: 10:30 AM Update: #3 Incident: East Rift Zone Eruption This is a Civil Defense Message for Thursday, May 17 at 10:30 in the morning. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has advised of an explosive eruption at Kilauea summit that occurred at 4:17 in the morning. The eruption was short-lived with trace amounts of ashfall. A sizeable ash plume was generated and may have affected surrounding areas. Due to the continued ash activity at Halemaumau, please be advised the following policies are in effect:  The danger from this eruption is ash fallout. The major response is to protect yourself from fallout.  If you are at home, stay indoors with the windows closed. Turn on your radio and listen for updates from authorities.  If you are in your car, keep the windows closed. Ash fallout may cause poor driving conditions, due to limited visibility and slippery driving conditions. Drive with extreme caution, or pull over and park.  After the hazard is passed, check your home if safe to do so, and especially your catchment system, for any impact that may affect your water quality. To protect yourself from breathing volcanic ash, free masks will be distributed as follows: Thursday, May 17, 2018 from 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm  Cooper Center, Volcano  Pahala Community Center, Pahala  Naalehu Community Center, Naalehu  Shipman Park Pavilion, Keaau One mask per family member will help to assure that supplies are adequate to accommodate all our ‘Ohana. Masks do NOT protect against gases and vapors. They will only provide filtering for ash. Mahalo 3M for the donation of masks, the Red Cross for distribution support and Community Emergency Response Teams. The residents of Puna are going through a very difficult time. We ask for your help and understanding. Thank you for listening. We are on watch 24-hours a day for your safety. This is your Hawai‘i County Civil Defense.