A flow of lava on the Big Island of Hawaii, which first began in early June, has become critical this week as it begins to seriously threaten homes and businesses along with the very livelihood of residents in the town of Pahoa, who can do nothing but watch while the flow inches unnervingly closer to their small and tight-knit community.

The lava was first released mid-summer from a vent of the Kilauea volcano - one of the most active volcanoes in the world - and has been moving in a northeasterly trajectory toward the ocean ever since.

Described as "a disaster in slow motion" in a report by the Associated Press (AP), the lava has been oozing through largely uninhabited land since mid-June. It finally reached Pahoa town limits earlier this week and as of Wednesday the flow was measured to be within 100 feet of the nearest home in its path.

NBC News reports that 80 members of the Hawaii National Guard have been ordered to be on site in Pahoa by Thursday morning in response to requests from local officials for state and federal assistance on the current crisis. The National Guard will help monitor roadblocks and traffic as the lava flow continues on, now threatening approximately 15-20 homes and a number of other structures also in its path.

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory conducted ground and aerial observations of the lava flow on Wednesday. According to the most recent status report, issued Wednesday evening, the leading edge of the lava flow was advancing approximately 11 yards per hour through Wednesday afternoon but was reported to have been variable over the prior 24 hours.

CNN has reported that as of late Wednesday, the home nearest to the flow was approximately 100 feet away, but due to shifts in the speed of the lava it's difficult to assess exactly when the first residences will actually be overtaken by the flow.

According to the same report, the main road in Pahoa is expected to be "overcome" by lava by Friday morning. The front of the lava flow has been measured at approximately 15 feet in width, but the "molten river" widens significantly beyond the lava's leading edge.

While the slow pace of the flow over the past months has allowed residents of Pahoa to pack up their belongings and move out of harm's way, it's undoubtedly been very stressful to these individuals as they try to figure out if and when the lava will head for their homes and how much time the unavoidable destruction will take.

"It's like slow torture ... it speeds up, it slows down, it speeds up, it slows down," Pahoa business owner Paul Utes told the AP. "It's not like any other event where it comes and goes and it gets over with and you can move on."

Troy Scott, a representative of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, says that residents who wish to see the lava as it overtakes their homes and community will be taken to a safe distance for viewing in a bid to try to offer up some sort of closure on this tragedy.

"We're going to be very sensitive to the fact that [the residents] will be losing their homes and this would be a catastrophic event," Scott said.

The lava flow, which by some estimates could continue for up to 30 years, will undoubtedly devastate if not completely destroy the small town of Pahoa.

Aside from losing homes and businesses to the unrelenting river of molten rock, other changes and upsets to everyday life in Pahoa are already being felt. The lava has by now disrupted some traffic routes and has effectively cut off public transportation options for many residents, according to the AP.

And once the lava crosses Pahoa's main road, which is by all means a certainty, it will "effectively slice Pahoa in half."

One of the many overwhelming changes that this will create is the inability for half of the town's residents to reach the only local supermarket. On a related note, as another result of the splitting of Pahoa, many of the town's businesses and restaurants will have their access to supply routes cut off, effectively paralyzing the capacity for them to remain open.

As such, it's been reported that some businesses have already decided to close down shop and/or relocate to another area. Other business owners say they will remain in Pahoa, perhaps in hopes of being the glue that keeps the fabric of the community intact.

According to another AP report, the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele is the guiding force behind this tragic lava flow. As Pele pushes the lava through the Big Island, all that the people in her path can do is wait to see how their neighborhood will fare as it is reshaped and forever changed.

In the wake of such impending tragedy, however, some Pahoa locals seem unexpectedly calm in their acceptance over what is to come.

"[Pele] is so gentle, but so unrelenting," said Pahoa resident Jamila Dandini. "She is just slow and steady."

Erlan Gamurot, another local resident, says of Pele that "she's doing what she gotta do. That's her way, that's her nature. Who can stop her?"

Who, indeed?

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