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Is it safe to travel to Hawaii now while the Mauna Loa volcano is erupting?

Submitted by Visit Plus on Tue, 11/29/2022 - 22:36

Anyone planning a vacation trip to Hawaii knows that the Mauna Loa volcano began to erupt on the Island of Hawaiʻi (Big Island) at the end of November. Tourists are probably wondering if it’s safe to go on vacation to Hawaii now and if they should cancel the trip (choose another vacation spot). Moreover, it is time to prepare for the Christmas holidays. 🌋

Updated December 13, 2022: Situated on the Big Island, Mauna Loa stopped erupting on Saturday December 10, 2022, the day after Kilauea, another volcano on the Big Island, stopped erupting.
See also - useful links for Hawaiian vacation Useful links.

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, there is currently no need to change your plans and cancel your vacation trip. The likelihood that a volcanic eruption will actually disrupt vacationers' plans is very small. Travel to Hawaii is safe now! (However, things may change, stay tuned.)

The eruption does not yet have a significant impact on local residents and tourists on the Island of Hawaiʻi. Moreover, the eruption did not affect other islands. You can choose another island for your holiday trip. For example, Oahu.

Lava (as of the end of November) does not pose a danger to tourists and local residents.

Flights to Keahola Allison Onizuka Kona International Airport (KOA) and Hilo International Airport (ITO) operate largely on schedule. (Southwest Airlines has reportedly canceled flights to Hilo International Airport (ITO). Check to see if your flight has been cancelled.)

All hotels, resorts, restaurants on the Big Island are open as usual. Scheduled events have not been cancelled.

The main part of the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park remains open to tourists.

Do you want to see the lava flow? According to the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, the safe route is via Saddle Road, also known as the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. The one-way driving route "will provide safe viewing of the lava flows" erupting from the Mauna Loa volcano. (Last updated on December 2, 2022.) Route 200, known locally as Saddle Road, traverses the width of the Island of Hawaiʻi, from downtown Hilo to its junction with Hawaii Route 190 near Waimea.

Recommendation You can try to book a helicopter tour to see the volcano up close. Look here.

The eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano began at approximately 23:30 PST on November 27, 2022. The volcano is located in the Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island of Hawaii. Prior to the current eruption, the volcano last erupted 38 years ago (1984). The eruption lasted approximately three weeks. (It is hoped that this eruption will end by Christmas.) 🎄 The distance from the volcano to the coast of the island of Hawaii is 20 miles or more. The Mauna Loa volcano is about 200 miles south of Oahu island Honolulu, and Waikiki beach resort.

Look at the location of the volcano on the map.

Volcanic eruptions in Hawaii rarely result in human casualties. (The only historical fatality due to volcanic activity on the island occurred in Kilauea in 1924, when an unusually explosive eruption hurled rocks at an observer who was inadvertently too close to the volcano.

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