New reality in Lower Puna, May 8, 2018

It has been several days now since the first fissure opened up in Leilani Estates. Since then ten fissures have started spew lava, lava bombs, and sulfur dioxide. Houses burned down by the lava, people had to evacuate last minute and are now living in shelters or with friends.
The air quality was really awful the last few days and on top of that Kilauea caldera started to have explosive events with spewing ash into the air.
We still have hundreds of earthquakes every day but most of them are on the smaller side between 3.3 and 4.6.
Since so many people are displaced and need literally everything, Ikaika Marzo, co-owner of Kalapana Cultural Tours, started to set up a donation hub and information center at the corner of Highway 132 and Highway 130. And since I didn't have a job as a lava tour guide at the moment, I decided to volunteer.

Pu'uhonua o Puna, or simply THE HUB is an amazing place with wonderful people. They provide meals three times a day, food, clothing, toiletries, information. All is volunteer work and people are grateful to have this opportunity.

Plume from Leilani eruption as seen from THE HUB parking lot

A lot of goods like water, dog, and cat food, clothing, tents, tarps were donated and then sorted by volunteers and handed out. TV stations interviewed people, geologists provided information. It was a wonderful way to see the Puna community come together as a big ohana to help.

Ikaika Marzo with Governor Ige

I also met the governor

it's busy at THE HUB

Such an amazing community. When it started to pour one day and we needed more tarps, we send out help messages for tarp donations. A bit later dozens of tarps showed up and we could secure the tents and all the donations.

Each time when it was time to eat, everyone gathered, volunteers and Punatics who came for help, and we would hold hands and say a pule (prayer). 

News Coverage of THE HUB