HONOLULU (KHON2) — Kilauea came alive around 5:35 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, and while the fountains had ceased by the evening, Big Island Residents say every episode feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“When you can feel the sound. When you’re actually feeling it, when you’re close enough to feel it and take all of this in, it’s just such an incredible act of nature,” said Keaau resident Jessica Meyers.
The incredible sight also comes with an incredible line. Meyers and Pahoa resident Kelli Veras have both been to 29 out of the last 32 episodes.
“I get there usually early enough that I don’t hit much traffic,” Veras said. “Well, I’ve left during the middle of some eruptions and seen the line of cars go about five miles down towards Hilo at just like a dead stop.”
“If you don’t get right up there, the park gets really packed. It’s very difficult to find parking,” said Bruce Meyers, “and sometimes you have to hoof it a mile or two.”
A newly opened roundabout at the entrance of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is providing some relief.
“The new roundabout is working, like 2 or 3 of the exits, and it’s awesome,” Veras said.
“It’s a nice roundabout,” Bruce said.
“It’s really a big improvement. It helps to organize the traffic going in and, you know, all around in the park,” Jessica said.
Other infrastructure improvements, like a renovated visitor center and bathroom upgrades, are also under construction.
Geologists said it is easy to measure the episodes once they are underway, but predicting them is tricky.
“It’s still anybody’s guess. Like I tell my students, I could become a rich and famous geologist if I could predict when things were going to begin and end,” UH Hilo geology professor Steve Lundblad said.
The first episode of this eruption was in December 2024 — volcanic rock called tephra was ejected during Tuesday’s episode and collected from the crater rim.
“And one of the things we do — or we help the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory folks do — is look at the chemistry of the rocks, and they’re all the same material, same composition. Therefore, they’re all part of the same general eruption,” Lundblad said
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park said the following improvements are underway:
We are getting close to reopening the comfort station at Uekahuna and can hopefully announce that soon. Meanwhile: portable toilets are available near Kilauea Visitor Center and the Volcano Art Center, at the ballfield parking lot and behind the Welcome Center at Kilauea Military Camp. Vault toilets are available at Kīlauea Overlook, Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Devastation, Maunaulu, Hilina Pali Overlook, Kulanaokuaiki, the end of Chain of Craters Road, Kīpukapuaulu day use area, and Kahuku. The restrooms at Uēkahuna are closed during construction, but portable toilets are available. The Nāhuku comfort station is now open.
-Jessica Ferracane, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park public affairs specialistCheck out more news from around Hawaii
Important safety tips for viewing eruptions include:
- Unstable cliff edges, earth cracks, or other hazards which may not be visible and can cause serious injury or death. Stay on marked trails and overlooks and keep young children close.
- Exposure to volcanic gas and tephra like Pele hair and volcanic ash presents a danger to everyone, especially for people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women. For more information on air quality visit https://www.nps.gov/havo/air-quality-alert.htm. Face masks do not protect against volcanic gas or fine particulate matter.
- Traffic. Slow down and watch for pedestrians, wildlife, and other motorists.
- Visiting at night? Bring a flashlight or headlamp to avoid accidental injury. The summit can be chilly and rainy. Dress in layers. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.