Scientists wary as Hawaii volcano calms, but looks likely to spew more lava ... only they don’t know where
Observatory said eight lava vents opened since Thursday, and though the eruptions had quietened down by Saturday, there were still hundreds of small quakes
The number of homes destroyed by lava shooting out of openings in the ground created by Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano climbed to five as some of the more than 1,700 people who evacuated prepared for the possibility they may not return for quite some time.
“I have no idea how soon we can get back,” said Todd Corrigan, who left his home in Leilani Estates with his wife on Friday as lava burst through the ground three or four blocks from their home. They spent the night on the beach in their car and began looking for a holiday rental.
Scientists said Kilauea was likely to release more lava through additional vents, but they were unable to predict exactly where. Leilani Estates, a subdivision in the mostly rural district of Puna, is at greatest risk. Authorities ordered more than 1,700 residents to evacuate from there and nearby Lanipuna Gardens.
Watch: Thousands flee as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts
Hundreds of small earthquakes continued to rumble through the area Saturday, one day after a magnitude 6.9 tremor hit – the largest earthquake to hit Hawaii in more than 40 years. Magma moving through Kilauea set off the earthquakes, said geologists, who warned of aftershocks.