IamA resident of a small town in Hawaii where an active lava flow is passing through! AMA!

Have you ever wrapped sweet potato or taro and put it next to a lava flow and come back an hour later to retrieve it for lunch?

Nah. Ain't nobody got time for that/sulphur smell/offending Pele

As lead Moderator of /r/Hawaii, I will verify you as a local, and regular contributor to /r/Hawaii.

uhhh which observatory? How you know me brah? Thanks though otherwise - I do frequent that sub. Feel free to PM me.

Late to the party but wanted to drop in and wish you well. My late parents' final home was in Hawaiian Beaches. I understand that the flow isn't threatening that neighborhood yet and I hope Pele will spare it this time. I'd like to take my kids home one day and show them Grandma and Grandpa's old house.

I always loved Pahoa so I'm hoping everyone stays safe there. Good luck to you.

Much mahalos!!! Hawaiian Beaches is unfortunately in a bad spot but hopefully it skirts it... keep following the progress :\ if you like I could send you a pic of the house at least! PM me.

That's so sweet to offer. I'd be happy to PM you the address but don't go out of your way, especially if it means getting in harm's way.

Nah, my cousin's live down there so I go there often and it's not threatened at this time.

Howzit brah?

Small kine hot ovah hea

You like sample some of that musubi bra?

Shoooots

Ho guy small kine bunk deals da lava

brah stay all pilikoi ovah hea, I be all like eh pele no make trouble, no hanaino us

How is it currently affecting your life?

The main issue is that it looks like it will cross the highway and cut off access to this town, which thousands of people commute to and from daily. Temporary alternate roads have been built but the commute will become very difficult. I live on the north side of the flow but work on the south side, so I may need to find another job. My mom lives on the south side so I worry for her - people on that side face threats to water and power and access to goods. A lot of people are relocating.

Specifically - I work for a program at the school as a mentor for at-risk youth. We had only just finished the first quarter of the school year and last Wednesday started a brief (10 day) hiatus to reorganize all the students - all students north of the flow are being transferred to other schools, and all south are being consolidated into one campus. So all schedules, for students and teachers, are being redone. As for my program, I will restart with a new cohort when students come back, and progress is lost for all the students I lost. I am not sure I will want to keep this job if the commute proves to be too difficult.

as someone who lives in Toronto, it blows my mind that people might have to find a new job because of a lava flow. We just call in the army if it snows an inch.

We should just funnel the lava to Toronto. Then you won't need the army.

Agreed

Snow?

Maybe a little off the topic proper but…. Pele is the Hawaiian patron deity of volcanoes… As a religion studies student, I am curious- Does your town or surrounding area have any mythos or folk tales regarding Pele and the volcanic activity on the island?

This is something I think about often. It is an interesting topic. There is definitely a local knowledge of Pele - legends, stories, etc. A lot of locals view the flow as a blessing from her - she is coming to our town, and part of the lack of preventative action is due to local outcry to welcome her respectfully and not interfere with her actions.

I find this interesting because a lot of these same people will then turn around and say they're praying for Pahoa, etc... how can you pray to a Christian God from the people that overthrew your kingdom and asks that you don't worship another God, then turn around and pay homage to your native Goddess? I think people are just looking for explanations and comfort and find it with Pele.

TL;DR: Yes, Pele is a very, very significant part of this.

Wow thank you so much, incredible reply… It's amazing how in the face of modern hustle and bustle (commuting to work, traveling) there are still some who see this powerful act of nature not as a hinderance but as a blessing, the goddess embodied in the lava flow.

Also a revealing bit about the Hawaiian colonial struggles… How can you pray to the God of the colonizers and conquerors and while also honoring the native deities? I think you are probably right… a means of comfort and maybe even a longing for a deeper connection to the native land and and it's mythos.

Be safe but also enjoy this force of nature!

Thanks so much for being interested! Everyone is safe because the flow moves slowly and we have plenty of time to evacuate. It is pretty amazing - sometimes the sky glows at night and people can see it from their homes. But I hope people allow themselves to grieve as well, and don't feel pressure to just accept Pele. The ugly side of it is sometimes she is used as justification, almost an ethnic cleansing thing. But mostly like I said - just giving people comfort, I think.

Happy to share, thanks for asking again!

Could you explain what you mean by the ugly side of it and ethnic cleansing?

I've heard some comments about Pele "cleaning house." Pahoa doesn't have the best reputation - it's a lower income community with a healthy hippie population, but damn, it's my home and there are a lot of good people here with big hearts and lots of Aloha. I just don't like people playing the religion card as ignorant acceptance of catastrophes... to shoot down even a discussion of trying to save things from the flow due to some deity makes me hang my head.

Edit: A lot of people find comfort in thinking of Pele; having an explanation for this tragedy, and they leave it at that. The ones that say ugly things like this are the vocal minority.

I find this interesting because a lot of these same people will then turn around and say they're praying for Pahoa, etc... how can you pray to a Christian God from the people that overthrew your kingdom and asks that you don't worship another God, then turn around and pay homage to your native Goddess? I think people are just looking for explanations and comfort and find it with Pele.

Do you think it has something to do with how much Hawaiian culture was destroyed by the missionaries? I'm not Hawaiian, but I grew up in Hawaii, and it seems like so much of the culture (religion, language, etc) has been lost that they can't go back to the old ways, but they still cling to what they can remember because it's all they have. I had a professor at UH who worked on rediscovering the language from old newspapers that were printed after the missionaries created a written Hawaiian language but before the push for everyone to speak English. It's sad how much of the culture has been lost forever.

It's very tragic. I haven't thought so far as to why people would choose to worship both, because it conflicts itself so clearly, it baffles me. It's a beautiful culture and I've considered taking classes in the language. But I don't follow any religion. Socially and culturally, Pele is very significant, more so in my life than any other deity, I suppose.

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There is a looooot more to it than that. But I have heard many obake (ghost) stories of her appearing as an old woman hitch hiking and you're supposed to give her a ride. Sometimes she has a white dog, sometimes she lights a cigarette with her hand.

I have also read about "Pele's hair," as well… Long and thin strands of volcanic glass that that resemble hair!

Yep, and Pele's Tears, little ball-bearing-esque hardened lava droplets.

Are you posting photos? First hand view would be awesome...especially if you continue to upload

I personally haven't taken any - the flow is currently on private property and access is restricted. But this site has a good slideshow up.

How are you doing?

It's surreal feeling. Sometimes angry, inspired, hopeful, worried, confused, anxious, or slap-happy about it. It's my home, and it could just be wiped away. As well as not being able to access some of my favorite places, and my childhood home. There's definitely an air of defeat and despondency.

That sounds really rough. Katrina survivor here; I feel your pain in a way. It's very hard to be helpless before nature and see your home changed forever.

It is :( glad you're okay and so sorry for what you went through. We got rocked by a hurricane a few months back and it was so unexpected, but recovery kind of gave us a trial run in dealing with this stuff. Now we're literally waiting to watch our town burn. Thanks for your comment :)

Have you ever just thrown anything into the lava to watch it burn?

I personally have not - the local mindset of that is that it is tacky and disrespectful of Pele. I'm not religious but I was raised with that culture and I do agree with that sentiment.

So they really dont try to redirect it? it seems like you were saying, like it wouldn't be so hard. dig a trench. dirt walls. what can it burn through and what might make it change direction? Would they redirect it if it approached like a school or homes? or is that against a culture?

-Thanks :)

edit for repeat comment. sorry just read a similar comment. maybe just answer the would they redirect it for a... (school/house/slow old lady) part haha

It does go against the culture to attempt to divert it - that would be telling Pele, the fire Goddess, that she is wrong [or something]. No efforts have been made to redirect. It disappoints me because I think we could learn a lot experimenting with it, seeing as it's headed straight for town anyway... I think a trench would be best, personally. A wall or barricade it can pool behind then go up and over.

Hello, you mentioned that the lava might reach the highway. If lava (once it's cool and safe) affects highways and major roads, do they remove the lava to reopen roads or creat new roads around the affected areas? Thanks for the AMA and I hope you are safe!

There is no removing lava once it's hardened. They can go over it, years after it's cooled and hardened. It is too brittle and remains warm for quite a while after the flow. Currently they are working on access roads from both sides of the flow - one through jungle, and one over older flows. Both will of course increase commute time significantly. Besides this, the flow doesn't necessarily stop once it's reached the coast - it could continue indefinitely.

You're welcome! Thanks for asking! Everyone is safe, it's just some difficult big life changes.

How close can you get towards the lava before it is too hot to approach?

Depends - fresh from the caldera, the average joe doesn't get to do that, but I imagine you'd need some distance. Surface flows like this are often open to the public if the terrain is safe otherwise, and people walk right up to it. It's advisable to wear hiking shoes with sewn on rather than glued on soles because the glue can melt. It still feels quite warm even some time after hardening. But standing next to a surface flow feels like standing near a campfire, essentially. I've done it many times. However, this flow is inaccessible to the public, for now.

I assume if you step in the flow with boots on your feet will melt off, right?

Yes. I would advise against stepping in lava.

Do you have any source for this? Any lava professionals to back this up?

I will have to get back to you with some peer-reviewed burnt-foot citations.

How fast is the flow moving?

Some days it doesn't move at all, other days it can move a few yards/hour or even a hundred yards in a day. Depends on source flow and topography.

Edit: It is the smoother faster pahoehoe flow, not the rolling crumbly a'a.

Other than altering people's lives and blocking roads, what damage has this new flow caused?

Crossed an access road to our dump, and burned down a storage shed. But headed for the town main road, more homes, and the highway.

But headed for the town main road, more homes, and the highway

I figured they would "create" a pathway for it. I clearly know nothing about lava, but I would assume that its a possibility.

Essentially, it's my belief that digging a trench would be the most effective way to attempt to divert it. So - creating a path is something that should be discussed. But due to cultural sensitivities, and maybe no prior successful diversion attempts, nothing has been done.

What kind of cultural sensitivities come into play when it comes to this situation? How could they get in the way?

If you divert it you're telling Pele, the fire goddess, that her path is wrong, which is offensive. In a nutshell. Any discussions about diversion were quickly thwarted by the cultural card.

See this video around the 5:50 mark. Surely there are better, more dramatic solutions we could come up with today than the bulldozers she's speaking of.

You said that the national news has been putting out misinformation? What misinformation, and what is the right information?

At one point they referred to us as "villagers"... another time I saw that the town consists of 800 people. Not many people live in the town as far as being ON the main road, but the citizens of the neighborhoods surrounding the town are in the tens of thousands. Also I have heard about silly puns being made which seems rather offensive.

A few weeks ago there was a thread in r/hawaii where USA Today had posted a video with the headline "Lava flows near Honolulu subdivision"

Ha!

Has this ever happened to your town before? It may be a stupid question, I know it isn't something that happens often, but I was wondering has it ever happen in your town before in your lifetime or is this a completely new experience?

The Kalapana flow occurred just before I moved to the area as a young kid. A lot of people remember it and a few friends of mine are from that area. This is different because Kalapana was already more or less at the end of the highway, whereas Pahoa is a hub, and the flow wiped out Kalapana almost entirely, but for now the flow is dividing Pahoa. Also, the number of people impacted not just by the flow but by the resulting difficulties of the highway being cut off, is much greater with this recent activity in Pahoa.

What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Why?

Oh, man. Talenti's Gelato, they make some mean stuff. Salted caramel, mmm. It really depends on my mood, and it's gata be quality. A good strawberry is nice. Or mint chip now and then. Caramel or coffee are good. I think, if I had to pick one - a very good true vanilla bean, with a fresh lilikoi (passion fruit) cracked over it. Can't beat that.

That sounds fantastic. I love a good salted caramel, and I wrote vanilla bean off as rubbish for a long time thinking it was just like cheap vanilla ice cream. How wrong I was. Although for me, I can't go past a good peanut butter & chocolate.

Ooooh, that's a good one too. I'm far too Hedonistic to ever limit myself when it comes to dessert.

How do you deal with a situation like this?

It's very sad. It's not like a hurricane or tornado or earthquake where something big happens once and you clean up and return to your normal life. It is slow, unpredictable, and forever alters the landscape, you're unable to just put things back how they were. A lot of people look to religion for comfort/explanation. A lot of people are moving. You make alternative contingency plans, and wait and see.

I do wish more was being done. This is an amazing opportunity for geologists and volcanologists from around the world to experiment with an active flow. But the cultural aspect of messing with the flow is sensitive, so nothing's been done. It greatly bothers me that we do nothing, and also forgo experimentation as well as an educational opportunity. It's liquid physics, truly - C4ing a trench to the ocean may have done the trick, IMO ;)

Maybe I've seen too many movies, but have there been attempts to redirect the flow? i.e. cement walls, scuplting through rapid cooling with water?

Water won't work, and cement walls it will just pool behind and go over. It's my belief that the best thing to do would be to trench it in the desired direction.

Edit: But, sadly, nothing has been hardly discussed, much less attempted.

Are you getting any additional tourists because of this?

I am not sure. We do have a regular stream of tourists to see the lava when the flow is active and in a safe viewing area. However, currently there is no access to view the flow so tourists wanting to see it may be disappointed. They don't understand that the situation is literally fluid and changes from day to day and viewing is often not permissible.

What was it like having the CNN crew documenting it there ?

It's quite a buzz for a little town. But the national guard is here, and with their help and the police things are running smoothly so far. The stretch of road that is threatened is currently closed so there is an area for people to go film. Day to day though, really, there's not much difference. For now it's a wait and see game.

Have you roasted any marshmallows?

lol, I have not, but I have heard of that... there is an air of tackiness about that, same thing along the lines of being offensive to the culture

Is there a backup plan being planned right now? It would seem like a good idea

There are many contingency plans in place, but things are mostly a big wait and see game. The flow can widen, it can stop altogether, or it could reach the cost and continue that way for 20 years. Alternate access roads are being built from both sides of the flow. The geothermal power plant is on the isolated side of the flow so it is being beefed up to supply the area with power. Alternate water sources are being dealt with. Students are being transferred or consolidated within the school system. Businesses are relocating or closing temporarily. It is impossible to know what the flow will do.

You have done all you can do... Now it's a waiting game... Must be a little stressful.

It definitely is. Homes, businesses, schools, and a major highway are all in the path of this and threatened. As well as everything on the isolated side of the highway. Often I just think, "wtf why do we live here?!"

What do you think of this article, and who issued you insurance? http://isil.org/lava-threatens-homes-only-government-would-insure-in-hawaii/

One detail other national news sites got wrong - 'thousands' of people aren't 'fleeing' - there is plenty of time to evacuate, and so far less than 50 homes are in an evacuation zone.

Insurance... what the article says is true, but it's not so simple. Not many insurance companies, government or no, cover lava damage. FIRE damage, sure... so a stragetically placed 2x4 or trail of gas could help with that. But it's a clusterfuck regardless of who is insuring what zones. All the zoning and insurance nonsense may have come about after a town was already established. I am not so informed on this, I hear things here and there - long story short, if your house gets taken, dealing with the insurance will suck.

Aloha!

Are there any practical use for the lava, other than gathering them for geological studies?

Also, what (if any) is your favourite ukelele music?

Well, the volcanic heat in general is great for geothermal power, so we utilize that. Otherwise, tourism!

Not too keen on local music in general... but Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu's chanting, I am a fan of.

Pats or Broncos tomorrow?

Uhhhh I didn't ask my boyfriend who I'm rooting for yet... I just enjoy a good game, honestly.

You are a strong independent Black woman, and you don't need no man telling you which team to root for.

Hahahaha... I never really care who wins or loses, I just enjoy an exciting game.

Wouldn't Pele prefer that you watch soccer?

ba-dum-ching ;)

Is there lava passing thru your town ?

Yes. I currently live between Pahoa and Keaau, but I grew up closer to Pahoa and graduated from Pahoa school. Currently the flow is 150 yds from Pahoa's main road and is on residential property. I also currently work at Pahoa school. The flow is also very near my post office.

Proof? How do we know you are a resident of Pahoa, Hawaii?

Here ya go