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Kilauea volcano erupts on Hawaii's Big Island followed by 4.4 magnitude quake

Volcano Eruption Hawaii
Posted at 4:54 AM, Dec 21, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-21 13:16:19-05

HONOLULU, Hawaii (AP) — Residents on Hawaii's Big Island are being told to stay indoors Monday after the U.S. Geological Survey reports the Kilauea volcano has erupted.

The eruption began late Sunday within the Halema'uma'u crater. The volcano is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

A magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit about an hour after the volcano began erupting.

The USGS says itreceived more than 500 reports of people who felt the earthquake but significant damage to buildings or structures is not expected.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory to warn of fallen ash from the volcano. The agency later said the eruption appeared to be easing and only a "steam cloud" was lingering in the area.

Kilauea erupted in May 2018 and destroyed more than 700 homes, CNN reports.