Very few if any stayed in them overnight, Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth said, and they would be closing Tuesday.
Ken Hon, scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said Tuesday that the lava was flowing “not super fast” at less than 1 mph, though the exact speed wasn’t yet clear.Hon said lava crossed the Mauna Loa Observatory access road Monday night and cut off power to the facility.The eruption is drawing visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is open 24 hours a day.Visitors there are currently able to witness two eruptive events: the glow from Kilauea’s lava lake and lava from a Mauna Loa fissure.People in the northern Hilo neighborhood closest to the Mauna Loa eruption were cautious, but not overly scared Tuesday.Originally from Utah and living in Hawaii for only a few years, she has never been part of an eruption.“I feel so humbled and small,” she said, adding that “it’s a profound, incredible experience to get to be here while that’s happening.”.