Kilauea eruption episode 43 has begun, according to Hawaii County Civil Defense.

Halema‘uma‘u is fountaining and creating tephra, which is falling in and around Volcanoes National Park.

Highway 11 has been closed between the 24- and 40-mile markers due to dangerous conditions including tephra falling on the roadway. Sensitive individuals affected by volcanic gases should shelter indoors or leave the area.

Due to the fountaining and light winds communities adjacent and downwind of the eruption need to take necessary precautions for elevated tephra fallout and volcanic gases.

Sensitive individuals affected by the volcanic gases can shelter indoors or leave the area.

National Weather Service forecaster Maureen Ballard in Honolulu said today NWS has issued an ash-fall advisory with the tephra falling within the park and near the park’s northern and eastern boundaries.

Minimize exposure to the glass particles and larger tephra. Disconnect water tank connections form the gutters to limit contamination from tephra. Thank you for your cooperation.

“The upper-level winds are not strong enough at this point to carry (the tephra) too far away but we are keeping an eye on that, in coordination with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory,” Ballard said.

An aviation alert was also issued for the eruption area.

Additional road closures may occur without warning.

Eruptive episode 41 on Jan. 24 caused tephra — lightweight volcanic glass debris — to fall over a sizeable area outside the park itself.

The eruptive phase on Jan. 24 lasted just eight hours, but explosive fountaining sent ash and volcanic gas several miles into the air with tephra left like calling cards in abundance.

For more information: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates