Scores more homes destroyed by lava flow on Hawaii's Big Island

The Hawaiian homeowners should consider themselves comparatively lucky that Hawaiian volcanoes have "runny" basaltic lava that took weeks to ooze its way across the island, so the residents could escape.

The residents in the Cascades region of the Pacific Northwest with its catastrophically explosive andesitic volcanoes will not be so lucky.

People who were born and grew up around there have their vivid memories of a paradise, but there is nothing physically left of Green Lake, Kapoho Bay and the houses, pools, gardens and businesses. Perhaps they were hoping that their communities would be spared as the lava crept forward, but now it is all gone and people are destitute. The finality of it all, sadly makes it news, Yuko Maeda.

 Living in the vicinity of a volcano is essentially playing the lottery.

Rather meaningless and unsympathetic observation. Living in the vicinity of earthquakes/volcanos/tsunamis hasn't caused 100 million Japanese to pack up and leave. Living anywhere is a lottery. People have to live somewhere, and almost everywhere is susceptible to some kind of natural disaster. Quite possibly you may be hit by a natural disaster at some point, and I would bet you get more sympathy than you offer here.

Hoping isn't a very useful tool when residing next to a volcano.

How is it news? People choose to live near a volcano. Your choice. Your land didn't come with a 50 year guarantee of no eruptions. If and when it happens, odds are you will loose everything. Living in the vicinity of a volcano is essentially playing the lottery.