Puna, Hawaii

19°29′37.61″N 155°00′34.88″W / 19.4937806°N 155.0096889°W / 19.4937806; -155.0096889

The districts of the Big Island. From Northernmost, clockwise; North Kohala, Hāmākua, North Hilo, South Hilo, Puna (highlighted), Kaʻū, South Kona, North Kona, and South Kohala
The Island of Hawaiʻi is divided into 9 Lava Flow Hazard Zones, which are unrelated to, and not to be confused with, the 9 District "zones". These Lava Flow Hazard Zones are numbered according to the degree of hazard from inundation by lava flows. Zone 1 is the area of the "greatest" hazard, where lava is most likely to come from the ground, and coincides with the rift zones of the two most active volcanoes (Mauna Loa and Kīlauea). Zone 9, consisting of the extinct volcano Kohala, is the area considered to be of the least hazard, since this area has not had any lava flows in thousands of years. Lava Hazard Zones in Puna are all Lava Hazard Zones 1, 2 and 3; the most dangerous according to the USGS.

Puna is one of the 9 districts of Hawaii County on the Island of Hawaiʻi (Big Island; County of Hawaiʻi). It is located on the windward side (east side) of the island and shares borders with South Hilo district in the north and Kaʻū district in the west.[1] With a size of just under 320,000 acres (1,300 km2) or 500 sq. miles, Puna is slightly smaller than the island of Kauaʻi.[1]

Puna cropland supports floriculture, nurseries and macadamia nuts. Most of the state’s papayas crops are grown in the lower Puna area which is regarded as the best place in the Islands to grow the crop.[2]

The Puna District is subject to frequent lava eruptions and flows, which include the complete destruction of the community of Kapoho, a result of the devastating 2018 lower Puna eruption, as Puna is located on a volcanic rift zone of Kilauea Volcano.

  1. ^ a b Hawaii County Data Book Archived July 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ NAPIER, A. KAM (October 26, 2018). "Hawai'i Island's Agriculture Recovery Challenge". Hawaii Public Radio. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.