Hawaii volcano eruption causes evacuation

For the second time this month, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island had to be evacuated due to an eruption from the Mt Kilauea volcano. Lack of wind kept the sulfur dioxide hanging in the air, forcing 2,000 people to flee the park. Spokesperson for the national park Mardie Lane said, “Right now we have little to no wind. The plume from the volcano’s main crater was lingering over the area rather than getting blown away by trade winds the way it had been earlier in the week. When you step outside, definitely your eyes tear, you have that feeling that you’d like to cough or clear your throat.”

Two of the residences in the park once again were asked to leave, the park’s Kilauea Military Camp and the Volcano House Hotel. Communities outside the borders of the park were not ordered to leave, but told that if they felt ill to vacate the area until the gas was blown out to sea.

Incident cmmander for the park Joe Molhoek said the winds were expected to change by week’s end.