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I just became a member after coming across this thread. I have insurance in our newly built home here, and found through my broker very reasonable insurer. Under $1000.00 /year. Used to pay over $2500.00!
There is a reason why that area is real devoid of vegetation. It's because the lava flows are recent. While you do avoid the Puna volcano - Kilauea, you don't avoid what many consider to be the more dangerous one - Mauna Loa, of which you would be living on the slopes of. Mauna Loa has a long history of massive flows when it does erupt.
Is most all of Ka'u at risk of Mauna Loa's potential massive flows?
There are lava maps which show the different flows with dates on them. That will give you a really good idea of which areas get inundated and which don't. Depending on where the lava flow originates - and most of them sort of start out at the same spot or rift and depending on topography, you can sort of predict where they will go. Not 100% and you'll never know when or how much, but you can get a basic idea. Also, these guys who predict lava go by geologic time, which is a lot longer and slower then human time.
If there was a lava flow in the area you're interested in during the 1940's, the 1960's and 1980's, you can pretty much figure lava there is over due. If there hasn't been a lava flow in the area since the late 1800's, well, there's a lot less to worry about.
Also, what the current state of the land looks like after a lava flow depends on rainfall, too. If it is a very low rainfall area and there was a lava flow across the area eighty years ago, it's still going to look a lot like a lava flow. If that same lava flow is in a high rainfall area, there will be skinny ohia trees, ferns and grasses growing and you won't see the lava unless you try to dig and plant something. Ohia and ferns are some of the first plants back on a lava flow and if the lava is pahoehoe (flat flowing lava) then most likely the trees will be skinny because they are growing in a crevasse and their roots can't spread out. That also means if you try to plant anything in that area, you'll need to dig a hole in the sheets of lava (which is basically breaking rocks, although at least they are usually somewhat soft rocks) before you can plant anything particularly large. A'a lava, the broken spiky puffy lava which is formed by lava spurting up out of the ground and hardening into a spiky poofy shape before hitting the ground, is easier for plants to grow in but murder on your feet to try to walk across.
A'a lava, the broken spiky puffy lava which is formed by lava spurting up out of the ground and hardening into a spiky poofy shape before hitting the ground, is easier for plants to grow in but murder on your feet to try to walk across.
It's said that the Hawaiian term A'a (pronounced "ah ah!") comes from the sound you make if you try to walk on its sharp points in bare feet.
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i live in HOVE
