Volcano changing Hawaii's coastline; hundreds of home destroyed

SCREEN CAPTURE / . YOUTUBE

Lava fills Kapoho Bay on Hawaii's Big Island

IN A MATTER of a couple of days, Kapoho Bay has been filled in; Hawaii's largest lake has been evaporated by the searing hot lava; and hundreds of homes have been consumed by the unrelenting lava flows from the erupting Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii's Big Island.

"We don't have an estimate yet, but safe to say that hundreds of homes were lost in Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland last night," said Hawaii County spokeswoman Janet Snyder Tuesday (May 5). One of the homes belonged to Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim.

In a matter hours, lava evaporated the water in Green Lake, the largest fresh water body of water on Hawaii.

Lava flowing into the ocean continues to reconfigure the coastline. Kapoho Bay, where many of vacation homes are located, is no more. The lava has extended the coast apoproximately 750 yards from shore.

County Managing Director Wil Okabe said his own vacation home in Kapoho Beach Lots is also threatened. He also noted that Mayor Harry Kim lost his vacation home, too.

Okabe said of the mayor losing his home,""He was very depressed." Kim and Okabe live in Hilo, an hour's drive north from the Kapoho area.

Over the weekend, mandatory evacuation was ordered by authorities. To date, about 10,000 people have been evacuated from the area of lava flows although a handful have chosen to remain in an area that is now cut off with lava flows surrounding them. Rescue crews continue to monitor the stubborn stragglers in case they want to be airlifted to safety.

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