Lava erupted from Kilauea Volcano covers part of Highway 130 on the southeast coast of the Island of Hawai`i. By the end of 1998, lava from the Pu`u` `O`o - Kupaianaha eruption covered about 13 km of the highway to depths as great as 25 m. Between 1983 and 1998, lava flows covered an area of 99.7 km² (38.5 mi²).

Because lava flows can completely block roads and highways that may serve as the only evacuation route for people threatened by an advancing flow, it is vital for communities that could be inundated with lava to develop emergency-response plans.

More information about the Pu`u `O`o - Kupaianaha eruption is available from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.