Loading ...That “huge steam explosion” thing is based on history in 1924 it happened. (No damage, no deaths) They studied it, and learned that it could happen again under the present conditions at Halemaumau crater at the summit. NOT out at the lava fissures at Leilani. As a result of this knowledge, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is closed now indefinitely until conditions are safer. They don’t want tourists standing a few hundred yards from the crater IF it blows. Major parts of the island are NOT going to ‘blow up’.
When the crater blows, it is a 1000 ft hole going off like a cannon, so it puts up a high plume. The prevailing tradewinds carry the ashfall southwest into the Ka’u Desert area, which is unpopulated wilderness area. The village of Volcano is only 2500 residents, and is located several miles upwind of the crater and park area. The only way the village would get ashfall is in a specific, narrow, back-wind situation which rarely happens. Never the less, the residents have been apprised of the situation and can either stay or go as they please. Mandatory evacuations are not warranted. Know the risks… take responsibility for yourself.
Most of the Volcanos National Park is wilderness lands where the volcano has played in the past. Vast tracts of lava and desert. The volcano is only national news now because some idiots built houses atop a known eruptive zone that does not happen to be inside the park boundaries.