"Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted Thursday, releasing lava into a residential neighborhood and prompting mandatory Evacuation Orders for nearby homes," reports Chicago Tribune. The eruption comes after officials had been warning residents all week that an eruption was possible and that they should be prepared to evacuate. From the report: Hawaii County said steam and lava poured out of a crack in Leilani Estates, which is near the town of Pahoa on the Big Island. Leilani Estates has a population of about 1,500, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. But the evacuation order only covers a portion of the neighborhood. Nearby community centers have opened for shelter. The Puu Oo crater floor began to collapse Monday, triggering a series of earthquakes and pushing the lava into new underground chambers. The collapse caused magma to push more than 10 miles downslope toward the populated southeast coastline of the island.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.