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The world’s largest volcano spewed fiery lava, drawing thousands of stunned spectators who blocked a highway in Hawaii that would soon be flooded with lava.
Ash and debris fell from the sky as Mauna Loa awoke from a 38-year slumber on Sunday.
A major highway linking towns on the island’s east and west coasts became a makeshift viewing point, with thousands of cars clogging the highway near Volcanoes National Park.
On Wednesday, Anne Andersen left her night shift as a nurse to see the spectacle, fearing the road would soon be closed.
“It’s Mother Nature showing us her face,” she said as the volcano spewed gas on the horizon. “It’s exciting.”
Gordon Brown, a tourist from Loomis, California, could see the bright orange lava from the bedroom of his rental home, so he and his wife went out to get a closer look.
“We just wanted to … see it as close as possible. It was so bright it just blew my mind,” Mr Brown said.
The lava rolled slowly down a slope about six miles down the highway known as Saddle Road. It’s unclear when or if it will cover the path through the old lava flow.
The highway bisects the island and connects the cities of Hilo and Kailua-Kona. If Saddle Road becomes impassable, people commuting between them will need to take longer coastal roads, adding hours to their journey time.
Ken Hon, lead scientist at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, said at current flow rates it would take the fastest two days for the lava to reach the road, but added that could change.
Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984. The eruption was the 34th since written records began in 1843.
Its smaller neighbor, Kilauea, has been erupting since September 2021, so visitors to the national park have seen a rare simultaneous eruption event — a combination of Kilauea’s lava lake and Mauna Loa fissure lava. shine.
Visitor Abel Brown from Las Vegas was impressed by the forces of nature on display. He plans to take a close-up helicopter tour later in the day — but not too close.
“There’s a lot of fear and dread if you get really close to it,” Mr Brown said. “The closer you get, the more powerful it is and the more terrifying it is.”
Officials initially worried that lava flowing from Mauna Loa could reach the South Kona community, but scientists later assured the public that the eruption had migrated to the rift zone on the volcano’s northeast flank and would not threaten the community.
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