(BIVN) – Most areas within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park will close ahead of Tropical Storm Nolo, which is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it nears Hawaiʻi this weekend.
The park began closing backcountry trails and campgrounds on Wednesday, September 23. By 5 p.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 24), all backcountry areas will be fully closed, officials say.
All remaining park areas, including the Nāmakanipaio tent camping area, will close to recreational activities by 5 p.m., the National Park Service says.
The Kahuku Unit will close at its normal time of 4 p.m. Thursday.
There will be a few areas that remain open to registered guests. Kilauea Military Camp lodging, Volcano House and the Nāmakanipaio A-frame cabins will remain open, although guests must shelter in place and should not recreate outdoors.
The National Park Service says additional closures may occur without advance notice because of severe weather conditions.
Intermittent, precursory lava activity continues at the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea. There is no anomalous activity outside of the summit. Although the summit remains highly pressurized, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says a forecast window for the next episode can no longer be modeled due to the irregular changes in inflation and deflation. Alert levels for Kīlauea have been left at ORANGE/WATCH as the volcano continues to exhibit heightened unrest with an increased potential for eruption.
