Why would anyone ever build a luxury estate in the middle of an active volcanic rift zone?
“Trouble in paradise” takes on new meaning!
Because that’s exactly where the developers of Leilani Estates, Hawaii built a subdivision on the Big Island—an extremely dangerous location destined for LOTs of “Trouble in paradise”.
It’s also where 696 homeowners found their slice of paradise before it was turned into a hellish conflagration by an irate neighbor—a highly active shield volcano known as Kīlauea volcano. (See more details about the nasty neighbor below.)
“Leilani Estates is located directly on a stretch of the east rift zone of Kīlauea volcano, in lava flow hazard zone 1.[5] Zone 1 includes the summit and rift zones of active volcanoes—new eruptive vents can spawn anywhere inside this zone. Approximately 10% or 50 square miles (100 km2) out of the 500 square miles (1,000 km2) of Puna have been covered by lava flows since 1790.[6]”
Are the rest of the real estate insurance policy holders in Hawaii supposed to subsidize those who made such a foolish and disastrous decision?
Really, how does anyone build their dream home on the side of an active volcano. More significantly, how does the state permit such an inevitable flaming fiasco?
Oh, that’s right, the expansion of the tax base guarantees an additional stream of property tax revenues. As usual, it was bad government that allowed this slow-motion catastrophe to occur in the first place…at our collective expense. Democrat-dominated blue states like Hawaii will find every way possible to raise taxes, legislate new ones or approve tax-generating projects that simply shouldn’t be there.
As for the developers, they’ll build inside of a volcano cauldron if given the green light to do so. Those folks couldn’t care less once the deal is closed.
Incidentally, the state of Hawaii currently has 5 active volcanoes dotting the landscape. Which means there’s a LOT of other real estate at great risk and, therefore, likely to be a lot more trouble in paradise .
The Millennium Report
May 21, 2018
N.B. Now see below what it’s really like to have an angry volcano as your next-door neighbor.
Hawaii Residents Trapped As Volcanic Eruption Intensifies, First Major Injury Reported After “Lava Bomb”
ZeroHedge.com
More residents of Hawaii’s Big Island have been told to evacuate as fast moving lava threatens homes and businesses after a new, explosive eruption took place at Kilauea’s summit crater Saturday as well as the emergence of fresh, faster flowing lava throughout the region. Some 22 fissures have opened up in the lower Puna district since the eruptions began over two weeks ago, claiming at least 44 structures in the affluent Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivisions.
Residents across the Ka’u region have been advised to prepare for “rapid changes in air quality” due to the potential for ashfall or increased levels of sulfur dioxide.
As of Sunday morning, powerful lava flows had crossed a highway and begun flowing into the Pacific ocean – sending “hydrochloric acid and steam with fine glass particles into the air,” according to County officials.
USGS scientists also announced on Saturday that fissures are now merging and connecting to other lava flows in the area. Fissures 16 and 20 have merged together and are producing a very voluminous line of spatter and lava fountaining.
The combined lava flow from fissure 20 advanced 1,000 feet in less than an hourearly Saturday morning, and moved toward the coast at a rate of 300 yards per hour.
The eruptions took a particularly dangerous turn on Friday, with at least five separate fissures spitting out fresher, hotter lava from Kilauea’s summit. –Hawaii News Now
“With fresher, hotter magma, there’s the potential that the lava flows can move with greater ease and therefore cover more area,” said Janet Babb, USGS geologist, earlier in the day.
#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano #HAPPENINGNOW: An incredible new image of the sun rising over Puna as pāhoehoe lava enters the ocean off of Mālama Flats after crossing Hwy137 Saturday night https://t.co/5VbbwlSLxd @HawaiiNewsNow #HINews #HawaiiNews (Photo: Dave Okita) pic.twitter.com/6PrlnbEaou
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) May 20, 2018
“The rift zone is being forced apart,” added Steve Brantley of the USGS. “I think clearly it points to the potential for additional eruptive activity” in lower Puna.
#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano LATEST: Unbelievable new aerial footage shows where last night’s fast-moving pāhoehoe flow crossed Pohoʻiki Road southeast of Hinalo Street through #LanipunaGardens; @CivilDefenseHI UPDATE👉🏽 https://t.co/7uq9mJI53h @HawaiiNewsNow #HINews pic.twitter.com/ZSMsfaa5K4
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) May 19, 2018
#BREAKING #LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano MANDATORY EVACUATION: @CivilDefenseHI confirms active lava flows have caused brush fires to spread toward Kamaʻili Rd in Opihikao. Residents need to evacuate immediately https://t.co/CVD2oBGFkQ @HawaiiNewsNow #HINews #HawaiiNews pic.twitter.com/ZK2zGpm83Z
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) May 20, 2018
On Wednesday, around 125 shallow quakes rattled Kilauea’s summit and nearby communities, causing minor damage to structures and roads. The strongest quake in the area was a magnitude 4.4, and dozens more have been upwards of magnitude 3.
“It’s been like hell,” said resident Ikaika Marzo, who has been helping get much-needed information to those in lower Puna.
He described the sounds of lava in the area as 10 or 20 jets taking off at once and right in your backyard. “It’s like huge grenades going off,” he said. “It shakes the whole community.”
The ongoing volcanic activity prompted civil defense authorities to urge extreme caution for anyone still in lava-ravaged areas. –Hawaii News Now
“Everything is so uncertain. It’s really nerve-wracking,” said Debbie Kalaluhi, who can see the ongoing eruption of fissure no. 17 from her backyard. “You’re very on edge. You have to really see it to believe it.”