The day
Hawaii protects highway from lava with National Guard
12/06/2022, 10:01 p.m
Mauna Loa volcano spews lava.
(Foto: picture alliance / abaca)
About a week following the eruption of the world’s largest active volcano Mauna Loa in the US state of Hawaii, the authorities have activated the National Guard. 20 members of the National Guard were sent to to “assist authorities with traffic control and other tasks related to the Mauna Loa eruption”, said the civil protection authority on Twitter. The ongoing lava flows threaten a major highway, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Mauna Loa erupted on November 27th. Since then, it has been spewing lava continuously on its northern slope – even if the flow has slowed down significantly in recent days, according to the USGS. So far, the eruption has not endangered any houses. But the lava flows are increasingly moving towards one of the main thoroughfares, the Daniel K. Inouye Highway. According to USGS information, the lava was still around three and a half kilometers from the road on Monday followingnoon. Their closure would force residents to make long detours.
