Pohoiki Road reopens after cracks covered, plume seen over Pu‘u ‘O‘o

Pohoiki Road was reopened Thursday after a Hawaii County road crew covered ground cracks with metal plates and asphalt.

The road was closed Wednesday evening between Leilani Avenue and Highway 132 after cracks were found, likely caused by seismic activity from an intrusion of magma on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone.

Numerous cracks, some a few inches across, have been found in roads of Leilani Estates. No steam has been reported from the cracks.

The intrusion began following the collapse of Pu‘u ‘O‘o’s crater floor Monday evening.

A short-lived plume of red or pink ash was seen over Pu‘u ‘O‘o on Thursday following a magnitude-5 earthquake nearby. The plume was likely a result of another collapse in the crater.

An eruption is possible but not imminent. An eruption could occur from Pu‘u ‘O‘o to Kapoho.