Puna, Hawaii
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Coordinates: 19°29′37.61″N 155°00′34.88″W / 19.4937806°N 155.0096889°W
Puna is one of the 9 districts on the Island of Hawaiʻi (Big Island) (County of Hawaiʻi). It is located on the windward side (eastside) of the island and shares borders with South Hilo district in the north and Kaʻū district in the west.[1] With its size of almost 320,000 acres (1,300 km2), Puna is almost as big as the island of Oʻahu.
The affordable housing prices have led to an enormous increase in developments in Puna, and have made this district the fastest growing area on the Big Island. In the last 20 years the population has grown by nearly 20,000 people and it is estimated that Puna will have a higher population than Hilo by 2020. However, between 2002 and 2006 the price of houses more than doubled and the price of vacant land increased over fivefold, as increasing numbers of people from outside the district (often from the mainland U.S.) bought into the last affordable market in the state.
However, homeowners insurance can be more difficult to secure in the parts of Puna that are located in Lava Flow Hazard Zones 1 or 2. [2] The entire Kīlauea rift zone region is in Zone 1, while the southeastern slope is in Zone 2. Most home insurance companies will not cover homes in Zone 1 or 2 for values over $350,000. Most of the volcanic destruction of private property in Hawaiʻi since the 20th century has occurred in Puna, including the destruction of Kapoho, Royal Gardens, Kalapana and Kaimū.[3] In addition, most homes in Puna rely on rainwater catchment for their household water. This lack of water availability for firefighting is also an issue with insurance companies.
The climate could be called mild tropical climate with an abundance of rain, especially in the northern parts and areas of higher elevation. The terrain is characterized by gentle slopes with no defined waterways. Although rainfall is occasionally very heavy (one storm in 2003 brought 36 inches (90 cm) of rain in 24 hours), flooding is rare due to the slope and porosity of the volcanic rock. The vegetation ranges from rainforest to desert shrub and coastal strand. Large areas of native forest are present in the Wao Kele o Puna and Kahauala tracts.
Besides visiting the active Kīlauea volcano and the currently active vents of its southeastern rift zone, one of the most interesting sites of the Puna district is the heated tide pools, in which ocean water is naturally heated through geothermal energy. The first geothermal well in Hawaiʻi tapping volcanic steam for energy was drilled in 1976 in the Puna district.[4]
[edit] Puna places of interest
- Ahalanui Beach Park
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Isaac Hale Beach Park
- Kalapana
- Lava Tree State Monument
- Pahoa
- Star of the Sea Painted Church
- Volcano
[edit] Notable people from Puna
- Joseph Nawahi, Native Hawaiian legislator, newspaper publisher, and painter
- Abra Moore, Folk-styled rock singer-songwriter
