Kilauea’s flowing lava displays God’s amazing power. Hikers are getting a front row seat to the show! But they are being very careful about it—for good reason.

Why might a person want to act cautiously around a volcano? The hot lava is a good start! Lava pours out suddenly. That can put people’s lives in serious danger. Mount Kilauea’s lava flows have destroyed many homes in the past. Sometimes, the mud and ash from a volcano mix with rainwater and snow. That can cause a fast mudflow called a lahar. Lahars usually flow down volcanos into river valleys. Volcanos can change an area’s landscape and agriculture in a wink!

People need to keep these things in mind when visiting any active volcano. But Kilauea is especially unsafe. In fact, it is the most dangerous volcano in the United States! In 1975, an earthquake in Kilauea caused a tsunami. That’s right—a volcano, earthquake, and a tsunami all in one! Yikes! In that disaster, two campers died. In 1868, more than 70 people died from an earthquake that started in or near Kilauea. In 1790, Kilauea’s big crater exploded. Around 100 people died. No deadlier eruption has happened in U.S. history.

Kilauea’s eruptions are especially dangerous because the lava doesn’t always flow out like people would normally expect. Sometimes it flies out in solid chunks. At other times, it sprays like water from a firehose!