Hawaii is trying to cope with the eruptions of Kilauea volcano that is active and has affected the lives of the people on Big Island for the last three months. They will now have to face the threat of Hurricane Hector that is heading towards it. All the Hawaiian Islands have been put on alert as Hector moves towards the central Pacific with wind speeds of around 125 mph. It was labeled a Category 3 storm early Sunday.
CNN reports that Hurricane Hector could enter the central Pacific by Sunday night or early Monday. The National Hurricane Center said a “slow weakening is forecast during the next few days. However, Hector is expected to still be a major hurricane when it moves into the central Pacific basin."
Tough times ahead for Hawaii
The combination of the active Kilauea volcano that continues to spew lava and Hurricane Hector that is approaching Hawaii will test the preparedness of the authorities. In the opinion of CNN meteorologist, Haley Brink, “It is still too soon to tell what effects this hurricane will have (if any) on the Hawaii islands." However, hurricanes are not new to Hawaii and officials have advised people to take necessary precautions because it is the hurricane season.
The active volcano on Big Island has been erupting since May and sending lava into some of the nearby regions. It has been doing it since the 1980s, and tourists throng to watch the lava flow into the water from the Kilauea volcano. The present eruptions have forced many residents to move out of their homes and has destroyed hundreds of homes apart from damaging the roads.
Hawaii will have to be alert
According to Sky News, Hurricane Hector is believed to be on a collision course with the erupting volcano in Hawaii's Big Island. The US National Hurricane Centre predicted that such disturbances could cause considerable damage to populated areas. The prediction is that the hurricane could strike the southern coast of Big Island on Wednesday morning.
Kilauea volcano is also on this part of the island and has already affected nearly 13.4 square miles of the surface. It has destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to flee to safety. Hence, the additional fears about the hurricane will be a matter of concern for the authorities.
Incidentally, dozens of fissures have appeared in the ground from the volcano and the flow of lava from one of these has been going on for 93 days. This has surpassed the non-stop eruption on record from the Kilauea volcano’s lower East Rift zone. Geologist Janet Babb, of the US Geological Survey, has confirmed this. The previous record was 88 days in 1955.