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Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted on Thursday, releasing lava into a residential neighbourhood and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for nearby homes. Hawaii County said steam and lava poured out of a crack in Leilani Estates, which is near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island. Footage shown on local television showed lava spurting into the sky from a crack in a road. County, state and federal officials had been warning residents all week that they should be prepared to evacuate, as an eruption would give little warning. The county has ordered evacuations for all of Leilani Estates, which according to the 2010 US Census has a population of 1,500. Nearby community centres have opened for shelter. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts, releasing lava into residential neighborhood on the Big Island, prompting evacuation orders. https://t.co/8iUCQK0yCdpic.twitter.com/fce4E74wIV— ABC News (@ABC) May 4, 2018 The US Geological Survey said new ground cracks were reported on Thursday afternoon. Hot vapor emerged from a crack and spattering lava began to erupt. An ash plume rises above the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island Credit: AFP Scientists said areas downslope of the erupting vent were at risk of being covered by lava. Leilani Estates appeared to be at greatest risk, but scientists said new vents and outbreaks could occur and it's not possible to say where. The eruption comes after days of earthquakes rattled the area's Puna district. A nearby school was closed due to the ongoing seismic activity and several roadways cracked under the strain of the constant temblors. New fissure opens in Leilani Estates on the Big Island of Hawaii. This video was taken just moments ago by my best friend who lives on the island... he said the fissure is making 'a loud wooshing sound' and is spewing lava at least 20 feet into the air. Video credit: Jeff Wise pic.twitter.com/H56kllrdof— Jennifer Myers (@JenMyersFox4) May 4, 2018 The Puu Oo crater floor began to collapse on Monday, triggering a series of earthquakes and pushing the lava into new underground chambers. The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles downslope toward the populated southeast coastline of the island. USGS geologist Janet Babb said the magma crossed under Highway 130, which leads to a popular volcano access point, on Tuesday night. Drone video shows the lava burning through the trees in Leilani Estates. The lava is shooting up like a fountain through cracks in the road. Video : Jeremiah Osuna https://t.co/YRuq3aGYnhpic.twitter.com/k03UzhjiYX— Lynn Kawano (@LynnKawano) May 4, 2018 Hawaii County Civil Defence Agency closed the area to visitors on Tuesday and ordered private tour companies to stop taking people into the region. Most of Kilauea's activity has been nonexplosive, but a 1924 eruption spewed ash and 10-ton rocks into the sky, leaving one man dead. Puu Oo's 1983 eruption resulted in lava fountains soaring over 1,500 feet high. In the decades since, the lava flow has buried dozens of square miles (kilometers) of land and destroyed many homes.
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