new flow (called Episode 61G by the United States Geological Survey) emerged from Puʻu ʻŌʻō in a southerly direction, the shortest way to the ocean, across an area that had been covered in lava during the preceding decades. The emergency road connecting Hwy 130 to the Chain of Craters Road was severed by the new flow. In 2018 this road was again cleared through the 2016 lava to provide emergency access around the 2018 lower Puna eruption. 2018 eruption On May 3, 2018, a fissure opened and lava started spewing out on Mohala Street in Leilani Estates. By June 5, 2018, reports from Hawai'i County officials indicated that hundreds of homes in several subdivisions had been destroyed by the ongoing eruption. By early August, when the eruption ended, over 13.7 square miles had been covered by lava, including about 875 acres of new land offshore. Geography Communities For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined many of these communities as a census-designated places (CDP). The census definition of these areas may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. Āinaloa Black Sands Eden Roc Fern Acres Fern Forest Glenwood Hawaiian Acres Hawaiian Beaches Hawaiian Paradise Park Kalapana Kapoho Keaau Kehena Kurtistown Leilani Estates Mountain View Nānāwale Estates Orchidland Pāhoa Vacationland Hawaii Volcano Village Housing The affordable housing prices have led to an enormous increase in developments in Puna, and have made this district the fastest growing area on the Big Island. In the last 20 years the population has grown by nearly 20,000 people and it is estimated that Puna will have a higher population than Hilo by 2020. However, between 2002 and 2006 the price of houses more than doubled and the price of vacant land increased over fivefold, as increasing numbers of people from outside the district (often from the mainland U.S.) bought into the last affordable market in the state. Homeowners Insurance can be more difficult to secure in the parts of Puna that are located in Lava Flow Hazard Zones 1 or 2. The entire Kīlauea rift zone region is in Zone 1, while the southeastern slope is in Zone 2. Most home insurance companies will not cover homes in Zone 1 or 2 for values over $350,000. Most of the volcanic destruction of private property in Hawaii since the 20th century has occurred in lower Puna, including the