(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has partially reopened following recent storms, right before the next lava fountain eruption at the Kīlauea summit.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park was closed over the weekend as Tropical Storm Moke threatened to soak the south-side of the Big Island with another round of heavy rain. The weekend before, Hurricane Lala battered the southern district, leaving the national park without power or internet service.
The National Park Service says park electricity has since been restored, as well as the air quality monitoring system and communications.
Moke did not produce the sort of heavy rain that Hurricane Lala produced, so the park reopened on Monday.
As of Monday evening, the summit of Kīlauea was showing a high rate of inflation, and weak lava spattering was visible at the north vent. On Monday morning, scientists with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory forecasted episode 54 would likely occur between Tuesday, August 25, and Friday, August 28.
The National Park Service reported:
Crater Rim Drive West from the park entrance to Uēkahuna is open, along with the Welcome Center and Hawaiʻi Pacific Parks Association store. Popular overlooks like Kīlauea Overlook and Kūkamāhuākea (Steam Vents) are also open. Mauna Loa Road is open to Kīpukapuaulu, but Kīpukapuaulu Trail is closed due to tree hazards. Tree Molds and the day use area are open.
All other areas remain closed while park staff continue to address hazards but will reopen as soon as they are deemed safe.
Visitors should take their safety seriously. Stay alert, heed all closures and posted warnings, and do not enter areas that appear unsafe. Although the storms have passed, hazards remain in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park including fallen trees, unstable slopes, flooding, debris and damaged roads and facilities.
Volcano Art Center Gallery will also open today. Volcano House will open and offer a limited menu in its restaurants; however, Nāmakanipaio Campground is closed due to storm damage until further notice. Kilauea Military Camp will open to authorized patrons.
The Kahuku Unit remains closed due to damage from Hurricane Lala until further notice.
Visitors coming to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park from the west side of the island are strongly urged to avoid using the Highway 11 through Kaʻū due to the severe damage in the area from Hurricane Lala. Instead, motorists are encouraged to use the Daniel K. Inouye Highway, or Highway 19 along the Hāmākua coast, to reach to the park from the east-side.
