Austin family witnesses Hawaii volcanic eruption while on vacation

AUSTIN (KXAN) – An Austin family said they were on the Big Island of Hawaii when Kilauea, Hawaii’s second largest volcano, started erupting early Wednesday morning. 

Jason Stubbing, his wife and son were all asleep early Wednesday morning when they were woken up by a violent tremor. Stubbing said hotel staff members began shouting that Kilauea was erupting. 

The family told KXAN the earthquake startled them a bit, but that trepidation turned to wonder when they found they could see the glow of the erupting volcano from their hotel window. 

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Stubbing, a self-described geological enthusiast. 

Warning signs of an active volcano

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said there was increased earthquake activity and signs that magma was moving beneath the earth’s surface before the eruption, according to AP. 

The volcano entity changed the alert status to “RED/WARNING,” which can mean a major volcanic eruption is underway and there is potential for hazardous activity on the ground or in the air, per the United States Geological Survey. 

The Stubbing family said the sentiment in Hawaii was “business as usual,” and no one seemed to be too worried about the volcanic activity. 

Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanos, potentially even taking the spot at the top of the list, per the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The Volcano has erupted dozens of times since 1952 and erupted nearly continuously from 1983 to 2018, per the HVO. 

More recently, the volcano started erupting in January 2023, stopped in March and started again on Wednesday. A 2018 eruption destroyed more than 700 homes, per the Associated Press.