Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Wipes Out an Entire Neighborhood Called ‘Vacationland’

Following its initial eruption in early May, more than 117 homes in the nearby Lanipuna Gardens and Leilani Estates neighborhoods have been destroyed. In the weeks since, Hawaii’s largest freshwater lake, Green Lake, has evaporated.

And now an entire neighborhood has disappeared. The oceanfront area, called Vacationland, was wiped out by lava this week. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and the lava partially filled an ocean bay, creating new land jutting into the ocean.

Molten rock now entirely covers Vacationland, according a report from the Associated Press. With the destruction of Vacationland, the total number of homes destroyed from the volcano hovers around 400.

The destruction of Vacationland was triggered by a 5.6 magnitude earthquake that hit the summit of the Kilauea volcano.

AP reports that the lava from the eruption “is among the most destructive and costly in volcano property loss in U.S. history.”