Volcanic Whirlwind Slams Camera with Flying Tephra at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (Jun 14, 2026)

During Kīlauea Volcano’s episode 49 lava fountaining on June 14, 2026, a large volcanic whirlwind formed near the active fountain and moved directly toward Camera A. The first part of the video has been sped up 400% until the tephra whirlwind strikes the camera with tephra, nearly knocking it out. The rotating column — sometimes informally called a “lavanado” — is more accurately described as a volcanic whirlwind, tephra devil, or lava fountain–driven volcanic vortex. As it approached the camera, it carried loose volcanic material across the crater floor and blasted the camera with flying tephra, almost knocking it out. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, episode 49 ended abruptly at 5:05 p.m. HST on June 14 after 7.5 hours of continuous lava fountaining. Following the end of the episode, USGS lowered Kīlauea’s Volcano Alert Level from WATCH to ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code from ORANGE to YELLOW. All eruptive vents and lava flows remained confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS notes that tephra fall from volcanic ash clouds is greatest within about 3 miles / 5 km of the vents, while lighter ash and Pele’s hair can remain suspended and travel much farther from the eruption site. These volcanic vortices can form when intense heat from lava fountaining creates powerful rising air currents. If that rising air begins to rotate, it can pull in volcanic gas, ash, cinders, Pele’s hair, and other loose tephra, creating a spinning column similar in appearance to a dust devil or tornado. Unlike a true tornado, this type of vortex is driven mainly by localized heat, turbulence, loose volcanic material, and wind conditions around the eruption. This video is for observation and educational purposes. For official eruption updates and hazard information, follow the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense.