Slopes of volcano offer affordable piece of paradise, risks
Griffith lives in
"I love this place, and I've been around the volcano for a while," Griffith said. "I'm just not one to rush off."
For many people outside
"The volcano and the lava — it's always been a part of my life," she said. "It's devastating ... but I've come to terms with it."
On Sunday, some of the more than 1,700 people who evacuated were allowed to return briefly to gather medicine, pets, and other necessities. They will be able to do so each day as long as authorities believe it is safe.
The subdivision lies within the
The people here are largely self-sufficient and understand the risks of their location. Many cannot get homeowner's insurance.
Griffith said that is the hardest part of this lifestyle — they won't be able to recoup losses. Moments later, an explosion came from a nearby burning house.
Puna has thick jungle as well as dark fields of lava rock from past eruptions. The gently sloping volcano dips from its summit to Puna's white sand beaches and jagged sea cliffs.
The region has macadamia nut farms and other agriculture along with multimillion-dollar homes with manicured lawns. Other houses are modest, sitting on small lots with old cars and trucks scattered about.
Homeowners use rainwater-catch tanks and cesspools or septic tanks. Many rely on solar power, and some live entirely off the electrical grid.
"It was roaring sky high. It was incredible. ... Rocks were flying out of the ground," he said. Much of the area filled with lava in just four hours.
Knox has some belongings packed in case he has to make a fast escape.
"I decided to stay because I wanted to experience this in my life," he said. "I'm ready to actually evacuate, but if I don't have to evacuate, I'm just going to keep staying here because I don't have no other home to go to."
This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of
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