HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-05-23 Eruption Update for 0930 AM
CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY Date: May 23, 2018
MEDIA UPDATE Time: 9:30 AM
Update: #2
Incident: East Rift Zone Eruption
This is a Civil Defense Message for Wednesday, May 23 at 9:30 in the morning.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports eruption activity continues in the Lower East Rift
Zone. Several fissures are still very active, fountaining lava and spanning about a mile
along the rift from Leilani Estates to Lanipuna.
Frequent ash emissions continue at the Kilauea summit, resulting in plumes less than
8,000 feet high. Take action to avoid exposure to ash.
Due to continued volcanic activity, the following is provided for your information:
County, state, and federal partners are working together to monitor the situation
at Puna Geothermal Venture and will continue to work on the wells.
Due to increased gas emissions in the Lower East Rift Zone, the following policies are in
effect:
Hawaii County, state Department of Health, and U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency are working together to increase air quality monitoring activity.
New equipment will be added throughout the Rift Zone to monitor for hydrogen
sulfide and sulfur dioxide. No hydrogen sulfide has been detected at this time.
Information gathered from the monitors will be used by Civil Defense and first
responders to provide updates to the public.
Residents can learn more about current sulfur dioxide emission levels and
forecasts by visiting the University of Hawaii’s Vog Measurement and Prediction
Project website.
We are on watch 24-hours a day for your safety.
This is your Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency.