Episode 43 of Kilauea eruption ends after covering summit area with rocks and ash

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (HawaiiNewsNow) - The U.S. Geological Survey said episode 43 of the ongoing eruption at Kilauea volcano ended Tuesday evening after nine hours of continuous fountaining that blanketed the area with ash and tephra.

The USGS said the fountaining ended abruptly at 6:21

Episode 43 began Tuesday at 9:17 a.m. HST with more than a quarter-inch of accumulated tephra, including ash and other volcanic particles, reported within the first 90 minutes.

The USGS said fallout up to the size of footballs was reported at lookouts within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, creating hazardous ground conditions.

The National Weather Service said the plume from this episode rose to 25,000 feet. The agency had issued ashfall watches and warnings for surrounding areas, which were canceled after the eruptive episoded ended.

Closures announced, shelter opens

Highway 11 was closed on either side of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) at mile markers 24 and 40.

The Kilauea summit of HVNP was also closed and visitors were evacuated.

“We hiked all the way up and we were asked to leave because we were evacuating the park,” Park visitor Carol Marigan shared.

Those staying at Kilauea Military Camp and Volcano House were allowed to enter with proof of reservations and identification, but had to shelter in place.

The County of Hawaiʻi has opened a shelter at Kaʻū District Gym, 96-1219 Kamani St., Pāhala, for residents and visitors impacted by the road closure or falling tephra.

All three Volcano School of Arts & Sciences campuses and all programs will be closed Wednesday, March 11, for tephra clean-up. All school-related programs and activities are cancelled, including KOA club and after-school enrichment classes.

Safety information

Volcanic tephra, including ash, can irritate eyes, skin, and the respiratory system. Take necessary precautions to limit exposure.

• If you have a respiratory condition, avoid contact with ash. Stay indoors until it is safe to go outside.
• Close doors and windows, where possible.
• Wear masks, gloves and eye protection when in contact with ash.
• Do not drive in heavy ashfall.

Tephra also can clog and cause other problems with water catchment collection systems.

• Temporarily disconnect the gutters feeding into the tank. Do not reconnect the system until the volcanic hazards (i.e. ash, laze, Pele’s hair in the air) have passed and the ash and debris are washed off the roof, out of the gutters and the tank.

Use caution when clearing rooftops of ash.

Logan Saetre is one of several Volcano residents who now have to deal with cleaning off the tephra from their properties.

“This was full, all the way up here,” Saetre said, showing how much of the matter piled onto his car. “I tried to brush off the windshield, but I couldn’t even see while I was driving, so I ran by windshield wipers and just scratched and destroyed them completely.”

Hilo Medical Center reported it treated an asthmatic person who had trouble breathing. Another patient believed they had tephra in their eye, but it was a false alarm.

“Better be safe than sorry. We’re here to help, this is why we have our urgent cares out there, and for more emergent issues, we have our emergency department,” hospital spokesperson Elena Cabatu said.

Road closures may occur without warning.

Click here for updates on Kilauea.