Residents of rural Puna district in Hawaii brace for the inevitable as a menacing and slow moving strip of lava 100 yards wide and nine mile long closes in on a village amidst the ongoing eruption of the Kilauea volcano some 10 miles away.

If the lava flow stays on its predicted path, it will pass through downtown Pahoa and will cross Highway 130. This means lava will block the only road that connects residents of lower Puna with the rest of the island. Some 7,000 vehicles travel on this highway daily.

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The Kilauea volcano has been erupting for the last 31 years. The lava flow, which started last June 27, emerged from a rain forest and is now bordering the village of Pahoa where some 945 residents live.

No damage to infrastructure was last reported but residents don't think the threat has passed.

Puna's topography made it possible for lava flows to wreak havoc in the towns of Kapoho and Kalapana in 1960 and 1990. This time, however, there's also a great chance lava flow will block emergency access roads.

The state has been building new roads to evade oncoming lava flow. Emergency roads include an extension of Railroad Avenue and Government Beach Road.

Local officials recommend opening the Chain of Craters road even if it's covered by seven miles of lava from an eruption in 1990. They've also asked for help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They're exploring other options by building a temporary bridge across Highway 130 when the lava hits the road.

A state of emergency was declared last September 11.

TagsLava Flow Advances in Hawaii Island, Lava, lava flow, hawaii island, kilauea volcano