Hawaiian volcano erupts, prompts emergency evacuations

Hawaiian officials evacuated more than 1,500 residents from homes near the Big Island’s Kilauea volcano after it erupted and spewed lava through residential streets. Officials said steam and lava poured from a crack in a road in the Leilani Estates subdivision, near the town of Pahoa. Aerial video footage also showed lava flowing through the nearby forest. State and federal officials started to warn residents earlier in the week to prepare for evacuation, since an eruption would give little warning. Authorities recorded hundreds of earthquakes in the area, starting Monday. The United States Geological Survey on Thursday raised the volcano’s alert to the highest level. The Civil Defense Agency said authorities detected extremely high levels of dangerous sulphur dioxide gas in the area. Hawaiian Gov. David Ige said he activated the state’s National Guard to help emergency response teams with evacuations and security.