Residents on Hawaii’s Big Island Advised to Stay Inside After Volcano Erupts

Hawaii residents on the Big Island have been asked to stay indoors after a volcano erupted last night. The island went on alert after a glow was detected within the crater of the Kilauea Volcano’s summit. It wasn’t long before the eruption occurred, followed by a 4.4 magnitude earthquake near the city of Hilo. The United States Geological Survey reported at least seven other earthquakes took place over the next few hours, ranging from 2.5 to 2.7 in magnitude. This forced the Hawaii county Civil Defense Agency to upgrade from a warning to a stay-at-home advisory. They will continue to monitor the situation which is believed to be rapidly evolving. The National Weather Service in Honolulu is now issuing warnings of falling ash from the volcano. Exposure could lead to irritations of the eye and respiratory system. This same volcano has been in a state of “non-eruptive unrest” since May of 2018 after it destroyed more than 700 homes and forced many residents to evacuate.