The last home in the Royal Gardens Subdivision is no more. Jack Thompson's house, which had survived countless assaults by Madam Pele since the current phase of eruptions started in 1983, was the 75th, and final house in the development to be claimed by lava from the Puu O'o vent this past Friday, March 2, 2012. Royal Gardens was originally developed with 1,500 lots. Fortunately only 75 houses had been built when the eruption started reclaiming land back in 1983.
Much more information, including this video and many other photos, can be found on Leigh Hilbert's excellent Hawaiian Lava Daily blog site.
This was my photo of the property taken a couple of years ago during a Blue Hawaii Helicopter's flight down over the volcano.
What a shame, we saw a program on one of the Discovery shows some years ago about this happening and now it has finally come to pass. Sometimes Mother Nature, or what ever name that is appropriate, explains why you can't be somewhere and this is one of those times. Haven't heard a thing about it on the news, wonder if we ever will?
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