Lava slows in rough terrain on path toward Pahoa
This Friday photo is of a small breakout several hundred yards back from the active front.
This photo taken Thursday looks downslope towards Highway 130. The leading tip of the flow has widened over the past few days, and branched into two fingers - both of which are heading in the same general northeast direction.
This Friday photo looks upslope, where the flow is narrower on slightly steeper terrain. IThe photo was taken about 380 yards behind the tip of the flow. The flow was already inflated 2 to 3 yards at this location.
The pace of lava flowing toward the Pahoa Marketplace shopping center continued to slow Monday as the flow moved through rough terrain.
Lava advanced about 70 yards since Sunday morning, Hawaii County Civil Defense said after a morning overflight.
The front of the flow was about .6 miles upslope of the intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road and about a half-mile from the shopping center.
The lava is not an immediate threat to area communities, Hawaii County Civil Defense said.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said the flow widened about 110 yards wide and "moving sluggishly" Sunday.
The front of the flow split into two branches last week and the southern branch stalled on Friday and the northern branch has slowed over the past several days.
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Other breakouts were active further upslope.
Smoke from burning vegetation was moderate to heavy with a light northwest wind blowing the smoke and vog in a south-southeast direction.
Hawaii County officials opened the Railroad Avenue alternate access road over the weekend to allow motorists to become familiar with the road and traffic flow.
But Highway 130 remained open.
As of Saturday around 10 businesses remained open in the Pahoa Marketplace, where lava is projected to hit in about a week.
Last week the Malama Market, a grocery store that employs 83 people, closed, along with the Malama Mart Gas N Go. Another big employer, Longs Drugs, cleared its shelves Saturday, and an eye doctor, a tire company, a medical clinic and a few other businesses temporarily shut down in preparation for the possible disaster.
