• Civil Defense Volcano Updates

  • Civil Defense Website: see e.g., Hazard Impact page

  • Sign up for the County Nixle/Everbridge alerts (see our explanation page)

• Primary/official sources:

  • USGS Mauna Loa website (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is part of USGS)

  • National Park Service Hawai'i Volcanoes

  • NOAA (see their GOESWest satellite image of the initial eruption)

  • Department of Land and Natural Resources

• Other interesting sources

  • Excellent pictures and explanations in the local online press

    • Big Island Video News: e.g., on Nov 28,

    • Hawaii Tribune Herald e.g, on Nov 30

    • Civil Beat: A good scientific explanation from on Dec 1

  • Kohala Ranch NextDoor

in particular the postings of Hawaii Electric with their activationon November 28 of a Incident Management Center and a very interesting map of speed of lava flow

• • Social media

• No direct impact: The Ranch is in Lava Flow Zone 9, with the lowest risk from any of the island’s five volcanoes (no lava flow in the last 60,000 years).

• Possible large atmospheric polution (Vog): so far air quality in our area remains good

  • Vog measurements and forecasts

  • Windy app, a fascinating display of wind patterns and forecasts from various professional weather models

• Excellent viewing opportunities from the Ranch and the Daniel K. Inouye Highway/Mauna Kea access road: The County has established an official viewing area along the old Saddle Road.Note that no parking zones will be enforced on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway between mile markers 16 and Highway 190

• A opportunity to see how Hawai'i Civil Defense operates in an emergency. A good rehearsal on how to address major emergencies.

  • Excellent Notifications so far on Nixle Everbridge opt-in alert system. The general FEMA alert was not activated in the Mauna Loa eruption, presumably because there was no immediate threat.

  • Activation of an Emergency Operation Center bringing together all the involved agencies and the Mayor office

  • Immediate opening of shelters (since closed, as there is no direct impact on populations so far)

  • Decision with the Mayor Office and Police to establish an official viewing area to limit accidents on Daniel K. Inouye Highway