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The National Guard was activated in Hawaii after the eruption of the volcano known as Hawaii's Mauna Loa.
The volcano has been continuously producing lava for ten days. Currently, the lava is only about two miles from the Daniel Inouye Highway. Although the threat to nearby communities remains minimal, the highway is still considered safe to travel through.
The US Geological Survey reported that the flow front was about 1.93 miles from the Daniel Inouye Highway. The agency that activated the National Guard was the Emergency Management Agency.
The Defense Department of Hawaii stated that the governor of Hawaii and the commander of the National Guard deployed 20 members to assist with the traffic control operations in the area affected by the eruption of the volcano.
Hawaii's Defense Department said outgoing Gov. David Ige and Maj. General Kenneth Hara activated 20 Hawai'i National Guard service members on Monday and placed them on active duty to assist Hawai'i County with traffic control and other roles in the Mauna Loa eruption. #MaunaLoa
— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) December 5, 2022
According to the survey, the lava flow has been moving at a rate of about 68 feet per hour in the past 24 hours. It noted that this rate was twice as fast as in the previous days. However, when it reaches a flat area, the flow would tend to slow down and eventually stop moving.
The spectacle caused by the eruption of the volcano has attracted a wide range of people, including tourists and observers. The volcano, which is known as Mauna Loa, started erupting for the first time in almost 40 years on November 27. Another active volcano, which is called the Halemaumau, has been continuously producing lava for the past year.
Although the entire Daniel Inouye Highway is open, the areas near the highway that are affected by the volcano's eruption have been closed. Hawaii County Mayor Mitch Roth stated that the areas affected by the volcano have been declared as non-operational.
According to Roth, he is certain that the lava will not affect the populated areas near the highway. At a press briefing on Monday, he noted that pieces of the flow are moving fast and are close to the highway. The mayor also said that the authorities are closely monitoring the volcano's eruption to determine the effects of the flow on the highway.
According to a volcanologist, the volcano's eruption could last for a long time and affect the highway. Deligne noted that the highway could become more vulnerable if the eruption continues.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Wire.
