Since May we have had an active flow coming from fissures that have opened. While it has taken many homes and a lot of land, it has been on the east side of the island in the Puna district. The whole island is not covered in lava as so many news channels reported. The island as a whole has chipped in and donated much needed supplies to the families that have been displaced. Also many local celebrities have helped in any way they can. Sam Choy has gone over and cooked for the families and crew that have been working and trying to have normal lives despite the tragic event that will take months to recover from.
Kona has been impacted with vog, a haze that contains volcanic ash or sulfur, which if you have asthma it does affect people. When we have the trade winds we do not have that voggy of a day. We have an air quality app (apple and android phones) that can let us know how much vog is in the air. The cruise ships have returned and all businesses on the west side are business as usual. Please still come and enjoy our island.