PAHOA, Hawaii—A lava flow that at one point was headed in the direction of CU Hawaii FCU’s branch here has changed direction, and the credit union is now extending branch hours to serve members whose travel is being affected by the ongoing flow.
“We’ve watched it coming for months, but it’s changing every hour,” said AVP-Marketing Cheryl Weaver.
Hours at the branch located in the Pohoa Village Marketplace have been extended to 7 p.m. every night on a temporary basis to help members as the flow has forced the closure of primary travel routes and is now headed toward Old Town Pahoa. The lava is flowing from the Kilauea Volcano, and Weaver said the flow has been advancing anywhere from 25 to 300 yards per day.
Most affected, said Weaver, are members who work in the biggest town on the Big Island, Hilo. What had been a 40-minute drive can now be as long as three hours, according to Weaver, who noted efforts have been made to open several roads that had been closed by previous eruptions, such as the Chain of Craters Road through Volcanoes National Park, but that road is rough and the going is slow.
“There are a lot of challenges,” said Weaver, noting extra cash has been placed in the ATM at the branch to help both members and non-members. The credit union also has an agreement with First Hawaiian Bank, which has a branch on the opposite side of the lava flow in Pahoa from the credit union, to not surcharge members.
Weaver said the credit union has a few employees who live on the opposite side of the lava flow from the credit union, and their lives are being affected, too.
Weaver said the branch manager reached out to one member who did not have an ATM card to make sure the member received one.
Weaver said there are no plans to close the branch in the community of 945 people, and that she believes the branch will remain viable. Additional assessments will be made after the flow has run its course.
“There are areas of the island that we are still able to serve,” said Weaver. “It will just be a matter of how we are able to serve others,” said Weaver. “Life will go on.”
In the meantime, the state’s civil defense agency has informed everyone of the potential need to evacuate, and many people already have. Pahoa is located on the east side of the Big Island.