Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Spews More Lava and Ash

After a brief pause, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumed its fiery eruption. On Tuesday, two new volcanic fissures cracked opened on the Big Island, releasing more lava and volcanic ash, and forcing another round of evacuations.

“…Immediate danger. Evacuate NOW,” read an emergency alert sent to residents.

According to The Weather Channel, there are now more than a dozen lava-spewing fissures in the Leilani Estates neighborhood.

Yet an official statement released by the Hawaiian Tourism Authority on Tuesday insisted that travelers should not be concerned about the eruption.

“There is absolutely no reason at this time to change or alter…leisure or business plans,” Ross Birch, executive director of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau said in the statement.

The area affected by Kilauea is a remote region on the eastern edge of the island, and it's less than 10-square-miles wide. Only accommodations and attractions in the immediate Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens Subdivisions in Puna are affected.

Nonetheless, travelers with existing plans to visit Hawaii will find that a number of airlines are continuing to issue and extend flight waivers.

At this time, Hawaiian Airlines is permitting one-time reservation changes for flights scheduled to or from Hilo (ITO) and Kona (KOA) until May 13, provided that the original ticket was issued on or before May 4.

Delta also has a Hawaiian Volcanic Activity waiver in place for flights to Kona (KOA) scheduled between May 7 and 13.

Kilauea’s violent eruption comes just weeks after severe thunderstorms pummeled the island of Kauai, resulting in major floods and landslides.