Summary

The 2018 Kīlauea eruption began May 3, 2018, in the Leilani Estates subdivision following the collapse of Puʻu ‘Ōʻō crater floor and intrusion of magma down the Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ).

An estimated 1 cubic kilometer of lava erupted through August. This coincided with numerous caldera collapses at the summit that deepened the Halema‘umaʻu crater. The eruption would be the largest LERZ eruption and caldera collapse seen in at least 200 years.

HVO reported a total of 24 known fissures, 60,000 earthquakes, and an eruption equivalent to eight years of Kīlauea’s magma supply. Given the volume of lava and associated hazards such as sulfur dioxide, ash, tephra, and laze, Island of Hawaiʻi residents were severely impacted. Entire neighborhoods – such as Kapoho Vacationland, Lanipuna Gardens and Kapoho Beach Lots – Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School, Kapoho Bay and tidepools, and the Ahalanui Warm Ponds were destroyed.

Timeline

March

• Mid-March: tiltmeters at Puʻu ‘Ōʻō, the site of an eruption since 1983, began recording inflationary ground deformation, likely due to accumulation of magma. Pressure increased through March and April, prompting the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) to issue a warning that a new vent might form at Puʻu ‘Ōʻō or adjacent areas of the East Rift Zone.

April

• April 30: Puʻu ‘Ōʻō crater floor collapses followed by ground deformation and eastward-propagating seismicity indicating migration of magma. 

May

• May 1: HVO issues a warning that an eruption was possible downrift.
• May 3: First of 24 fissures opens in Leilani Estates, about 20 kilometers downrift from Puʻu ‘Ōʻō.
• May 4: A 6.9-magnitude earthquake, the largest on the island in 43 years, occurs beneath Kīlauea's south flank. Seismicity begins to increase at the summit. Total fissures: 6.
• May 6: Summit lava lake drops significantly (about 220 meters below the crater rim). Total fissures: 10.
• May 7: Ground cracking extends across Highway 130. Number of fissures: 12.
• May 9: Summit lava lake continues to drop; ash plume following large rockfall and 3.1-magnitude earthquake creates ash plume that reaches an estimated 6,000 feet. Cracks open west of Highway 130. Number of fissures: 15.
• May 10: Summit lava lake disappears from view after dropping more than 325 meters (1,070 feet) below Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. 
• May 15: Rock fall and explosions within Halema‘uma‘u Crater sends ash plume around 12,000 feet into the air.
• May 16: Summit ash plume rises 8,200 feet after 4.2-magnitude earthquake. Cracks observed on Highway 11. Summit continues to deflate and lava lake continues to drop.
• May 17: Explosive eruption at summit produces ash clouds that reach 30,000 feet. Number of fissures: 22.
• May 18: A fast-moving pahoehoe lava flow from fissure 20 crosses Pohoiki Road.
• May 19: Explosion at Kīlauea’s summit occurs just before midnight May 18, with plumes reaching 10,000 feet above sea level.
• May 20: Explosions at summit continue. River of lava enters the ocean. 
• May 21: Ash cloud reaches 7,000 feet above sea level at the summit. Two flows entering the ocean.
• May 22: Ash cloud reaches 8,000 feet above sea level at the summit. 
• May 24: Explosions at summit continue; ash cloud reaches 10,000 feet above sea level. Three lava flows entering the ocean between Pohoiki Bay and MacKenzie State Recreation Area.
• May 25: Explosions continue at summit; 4.0-magnitude earthquake occurs. Vent area at Halema‘uma‘u now about 90 acres. Two lava flows entering the ocean near MacKenzie State Recreation Area. Flow reaches Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV). Fissure 8 reactivated. 
• May 26: Ash cloud reaches 12,000 feet above sea level at the summit. Two flows entering ocean near MacKenzie State Recreation Area. Eruption covers 3.7-square-miles of land. 
• May 27: Fissure No. 24 opens between Kupono and Nohea streets. 
• May 28: Ash cloud reaches 10,000 feet at the summit; 4.1-magnitude earthquakes occurs south of caldera. One weak lava ocean entry. 
• May 29: Finger of lava crosses Highway 132 near PGV.
• May 30: Ash cloud reaches 12,000 feet above sea level at the summit. Fissure 8 maintains high fountains of lava with sustained heights of 200-250 feet. Fountaining feeds lava flow moving north out of Leilani Estates, then northeast along Highway 132.
• May 31: Fissure 8 produces persistent fountains of 200-260 feet, Flow 1.9 miles above Four Corners area. Earthquakes and ash explosions continue at summit.

 June

• June 2: Flow crosses Four Corners area (intersection of Highway 132 and Highway 137); advances into Kapoho Crater. 
• June 3: Lava flow enters ocean through Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots subdivisions; 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurs at summit with ash plume reaching 8,000 feet above sea level.
• June 5: Flow building lava delta and advancing into remaining parts of Vacationland and Kapoho Beach Lots. Small explosion at summit creates ash plume that reaches 5,000 feet above sea level. A magnitude-5.6 earthquake reported.
• June 6: Small explosion at summit; ash plume reaches 10,000 feet above sea level. Inward slumping of crater rim and walls. Fissure 8 fountain heights diminish to 130-210 feet. 
• June 8: Ash plume reaches 10,000 feet at summit. Prominent red dust plume at Puʻu ‘Ōʻō following 3.2-magnitude earthquake at the summit, rockfalls. Two vigorous steam plumes rising from ocean flow front. Fissure 8 fountain reaches 220 feet.  
• June 13: Ash plume reaches 7,000-8,000 feet above sea level at summit; focused ocean entry at Kapoho.
• June 14: Ash cloud at summit reaches 6,000 feet above sea level. Fissure 8 fountains reach 200 feet within growing cinder cone. Ocean entry at Kapoho.
• June 15: Halema‘uma‘u crater increases in size to 1 x 1.3 kilometers (0.6 x 0.8 miles) across and 370 meters (1,210 feet) deep.
• June 16: Lava covers 9.24 square miles; 467 homes reported destroyed. Fissure 8 spatter cone 170 feet tall. Lava fountains 185-200 feet. Broad ocean entry. Seaward delta 320 acres.
• June 17: Summit ash plume reaches 5,000-7,000 feet above sea level. 533 homes destroyed. 
• June 18: Summit ash plume reaches 5,000 feet above sea level. 
• June 19: Summit ash plume reaches 5,000 feet above sea level. 4.4-magnitude earthquake at summit. Lava entering ocean at two entry points. Flow field stable. Width of flow boundary along coast is 1.5 miles across. 
• June 20: Summit ash plume reaches 6,000 feet above sea level. 380 acres of new land added from lava delta. Halema‘uma‘u parking lot fell into crater during past week. 
• June 21: Gas and ash emission due to summit collapse event, equal to 5.3-magnitude earthquake. Well-established ocean entry. 
• June 22: Summit ash plume reaches 500 feet above the ground (4,500 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• June 23: Summit ash plume reaches 500-1,000 feet above the ground (4,500-5,000 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• June 24: Summit ash plume reaches 2,000 feet above the ground (less than 6,000 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake. Fissure 8 spatter cone 180 feet tall. Ocean entry at Kapoho.
• June 25: Lava flow front nearly 2 miles in width at coast. 
• June 26: Halema‘uma‘u now 1,300 feet below caldera floor. Steam plume rose 1,000 feet above the ground. Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• June 28: Summit ash plume reaches 1,000 feet above the ground (5,000 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• June 29: Summit ash plume reaches 500 feet above the ground (4,500 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.2-magnitude earthquake.
• June 30: Whirlwind above lava channel captured on video. Summit ash plume rises 500 feet above the ground (4,500 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.

July

• July 2: Summit ash plume rises to about 1,200 feet above the ground (5,200 feet above sea level). Energy released equivalent to 5.3-magnitude earthquake.
• July 3: Summit ash plume reaches 1,000-2,000 feet above the ground (5,000-6,000 feet above sea level. Energy released equivalent to 5.1-magnitude earthquake.
• July 10: Overflow lobe that was progressing northeast towards Cinder Road is no longer advancing. Overflow on west side of Kapoho Crater that started July 9 remains active.
• July 11: Diverted channelized ‘a‘a flow advanced within 2,000 feet of the coast at Ahalanui Beach Park.
• July 12: Diverted channelized ‘a‘a flow covers Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School and Ahalanui Beach Park; reaches ocean. Flow front 3.7 miles.
• July 15: Southern boundary of flow about 900 meters (0.56 miles) from boat ramp at Isaac Hale Beach Park.
• July 17: Floor of Halema‘uma‘u Crater dropped 1,480 feet since May 10. 
• July 24: Southern margin of flow 575 feet from boat ramp.

August

• Aug. 4: Reduced output of lava seen at fissure 8. Last collapse event on Aug. 2; lower level of seismicity and deformation. Changes imply rate of magma leaving the summit has decreased.
• Aug. 5: Lower lava levels from fissure 8. Lava oozing into ocean along broad flow; lava about 230 feet southeast of Pohoiki boat ramp.
• Aug. 7: Helicopter overflight observed small active lava lake within fissure 8 cone, a weak gas plume, and drained upper channel. Summit remains quiet.
•  Aug. 9: Crusted lava pond observed deep within fissure 8. Small streams of lava oozing into ocean near Ahalanui. Southern flow margin remained near Isaac Hale Beach Park.
• Aug. 14-16: Volcano quiet for over a week. No collapse events. Crusted-over lava pond deep inside fissure 8; few scattered ocean entries. 
• Aug. 17: Alert level for ground-based hazards changed from a Warning to a Watch. 

September-October

• Sept. 5: No incandescence visible in fissure 8 spillway. Weak lava activity. 
• Sept. 6: Small amount of incandescence seen in fissure 8 for a brief period.
• Sept.16-Oct. 4: No incandescence visible. 
• Oct. 5: Alert level reduced from a Watch to Advisory. Thirty days pass without seeing lava on the surface. 

View the USGS overview of events April 17 to Oct. 5, 2018

Impacts

Natural

• 13.7 square miles or 8,488 acres inundated with lava
• 875 acres new land created along shoreline
• 500 acres of forest reserve destroyed
• 80 anchialine pools inundated
• Loss of Kapoho Bay and Wai‘ōpae Tidepools Marine Life Conservation 
  District
• Pu’ala’a low-land rainforest and historic fishing village destroyed
• Ahalanui Beach Park destroyed
• Kīlauea summit collapse
• Approximately 1 cubic kilometer of lava erupted; two-thirds from Fissure 8

Housing

• 1,770 total parcels impacted
• 1,579 inundated parcels
• 612 residences destroyed
• 111 "other" structures destroyed
• 39 inundated agricultural lots
• 19 homes remaining in isolation
• 808 vacant parcels inundated
• Estimated 3,000 residents initially displaced during eruption
• $296 million in home losses

Infrastructure

• Estimated $236.5 million in damages to public infrastructure.
• 32.3 miles of roads inundated, including nearly 13 miles of public roads.
• 14.5 miles of waterlines destroyed.
• Kua O Ka Lā Public Charter School destroyed.
• 900 utility poles destroyed
• 2 geothermal wells inundated; 1 isolated
• 1 electrical substation isolated
• 1 water well isolated

Economic

• 2,950 jobs lost
• $415 million in revenue lost inland-wide
• Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park closure: $99.4 million in economic loss
• $27.9 million farm losses resulting in decreased agriculture and floriculture production
• Decreased tourism revenue and adjustments to marketing and products