Hawaii Island’s lava-viewing sites, county campsites shut in anticipation of Tropical Storm Darby

The threat from Tropical Storm Darby, which as of Friday was heading toward Hawaii Island, prompted the closure of lava-viewing areas in and near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and campsites at the Big Island’s county parks.

Forecasters from the Central Pacific Hurricane Center on Friday morning issued a tropical storm warning for the Big Island and a tropical storm watch for the islands of Maui, Lanai and Molokai.

The agency says Tropical Storm Darby was 305 miles east-southeast of Hilo. It is forecast to reach Hawaii Island around midnight Saturday, bringing heavy rain and potentially damaging winds.

Dangerously large surfs are also predicted for east-facing shores. (Beaches on the Kailua-Kona side of the island face west.)

A spokeswoman at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park said, as a precaution, access to the recent flow of molten lava from the Puu Oo vent will be severely restricted beginning at 5 p.m. local time (8 p.m. Pacific) Friday.

Visitors will not be able to reach the end of Chain of Craters Road inside the park or Hawaii County’s Kalapana Lava Viewing Area along Highway 130.

Volcanic activity can still be seen, however, from the observation deck of the park’s Jaggar Museum.

“Although we aren’t closing Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in its entirety, we strongly encourage visitors to consider changing their plans if they were planning to visit Friday afternoon or this weekend,” the park’s Chief Ranger John Broward said in a news release.

The park is closing access to the back country, including coastal areas, media reports say. Closures will remain in effect until the storm ends.

Big Island Video News on Friday morning reported that camping reservations at county parks on the Big Island from Friday to Sunday nights have been canceled.

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