The need for this blog

Our family planned a reunion on the Big Island for the 4th of July week. We put in our reservations long before the Kilauea Volcano area eruptions started on May 3. The news from the main stream media has been absolutely irresponsible, making a problem local to the Kilauea area seem like an imminent catastrophe for the whole island, if not for the whole state.

The older members of our family who grew up in Hawaii, know that the latest eruptions are not a big deal. But some of the younger family members grew up on the mainland and may be frightened by the apocalyptic media coverage. They may know about other volcanic eruptions in the world that were truly catastrophic. They may not be aware that Hawaiian volcanoes are inherently mild and the current eruption is just another episode of increased activity.

There are some real concerns, like air quality, that can easily be handled and will be covered by future posts to this blog. Right now, here is a video which explains why Hawaiian volcanic eruptions are mild.