Following days of earthquakes and eruptions from the Kilauea volcano, residents of Hawaii’s Big Island are moving out of the way and preparing for what comes next.
In Leilani Estates, a subdivision on the slopes of the Kilauea volcano,
on Hawaii’s Big Island, houses sit next to a lush rain forest, and
brightly colored orchids can be seen growing wild along the roads. On
May 3rd, after days of tremors shook the area as magma moved
underground, fissures opened up in the middle of the neighborhood, and
lava started bursting out of the ground.
The scenes from the area are otherworldly: a giant black-and-red blob
slowly creeps across a road and swallows up a parked car; glowing orange
fountains spew up in the middle of grassy lawns; in aerial shots, the
black network of lava flows looks like a system of blood vessels or tree
branches slowly extending through the bright green landscape. All are a
striking reminder of the planet’s inner workings.
After the eruption, Sierra Crane-Murdoch interviewed
residents who
had evacuated their homes and gone to emergency shelters. Many of
them took a very long perspective and viewed the events philosophically,
saying that the eruption was simply part of living on an active volcano.
“We believe in Pele,” one resident said, referring to the Hawaiian fire
goddess, who is believed to shape the land by determining the course of
eruptions. “She’s going to take what she wants.” But not everyone took
such a dispassionate view of the destruction.
Laura Dawn and her husband live downhill from Leilani Estates, on thirty
acres of land in Opihikao, where they operate a retreat center, the
grounds and gardens planted with tropical fruits. With no certainty
about how long the lava flows will continue, they have had to quickly
move their belongings out of the way while also dealing with the
aftermath of the earthquakes. Their troubles may continue; scientists
are now warning of the possibility of an explosion at the summit of
Kilauea. In this video, Dawn shows the personal side of dealing with
Kilauea’s eruption: beyond the remarkable images, households like hers
are packing up and getting out of the way, and learning to live with
uncertainty about what comes next.
Sourse: newyorker.com
