HAWAII’S Big Island has been hit by another big earthquake - this time measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale - shaking up to 10,000 people already forced to evacuate.

It’s the biggest earthquake the volcanic island chain has experienced since 1975.

The earthquake shook Hawaii’s Big Island this morning, prompting fresh eruptions of a volcano that has been spewing lava near residential areas, forcing hundreds of people to flee.

Hawaii’s Fire Department has issued fresh evacuation orders, warning of high levels of sulfur dioxide gas.

The US Geological Survey said the quake struck at 12:32pm local time (2232 GMT) and was centered on the south flank of the Kilauea volcano, which first erupted on Thursday after a series of tremors on the island.

“This is in almost exactly the same location as the deadly 1975 M 7.1 quake,” USGC said in a tweet.

That quake killed two people and injured 28.

Another 5.7-magnitude tremor hit the island earlier on Friday and authorities said they expect more seismic activity.

The quakes have prompted the Kilauea volcano, one of five active on the island, to erupt.

Drone and video footage showed orange magma gushing up from cracks in the ground and snaking through a wooded area.

Molten lava could also be seen bubbling up through cracks on streets in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhood where residents were ordered to evacuate on Thursday.

The area is home to about 1,700 people and 770 structures. The broader district potentially impacted by the threat is home to some 10,000 people.

No injuries have been reported but several homes were said to have been destroyed or badly damaged on Friday, authorities said.

Officials urged any remaining residents to evacuate and warned of extremely high levels of toxic fumes.

“Elderly, young and people with respiratory issues need to comply with the mandatory evacuation order and leave the area,” a statement from the mayor’s office said.

Governor David Ige said residents were being housed in community centers until the danger from Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has passed.

Ige signed an emergency proclamation releasing disaster funds to the Big Island.

Torrential rains have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people across East Africa in recent weeks, offsetting a humanitarian disaster that is threatening the lives of entire communities.

In Kenya, floods have displaced over 260,000 people and killed 100 others in at least 15 of the country’s 47 counties, according to the United Nations office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. The floods, which have also affected refugees in northeastern Kenya’s Dadaab camp, have damaged businesses, swept away homes and food supplies, closed more than 200 schools, destroyed community water points, and increased chances of disease outbreaks including cholera and malaria. The situation was so dire Facebook activated a safety feature this week asking users to indicate if they were safe.

In Somalia, 500,000 people were affected by the floods, prompting the government to ask for international assistance, and pushing African Union peacekeepers to relocate hundreds of people to safer grounds.

The flooding comes as many countries are just recovering from the devastating drought and famine that swept the Horn and East Africa region in the last two years. The drought, exacerbated by El Nino, curtailed crop production in Kenya, drove food prices higher, increased inflation, and put a strain on economic growth. It also forced over 1.3 million Somalis to leave their homes last year, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

The current torrents show the poor planning and the lack of disaster preparedness among governments in the region. As such, countries experience a vicious cycle that alternates between droughts and floods, reacting to events instead of being proactive about attaining solutions.

In the aftermath of rains, for instance, roads are deemed impassable, drainage systems clog, transport networks break down, and rivers burst their banks blocking any humanitarian efforts. Both climatic conditions also exacerbate hunger and poverty, especially among pastoralists, who lose their herds for lack of water during dry periods and are swept away when it pours.

Africa is extremely vulnerable to the impact of climate change compared to other continents. Even while emitting a small number of greenhouse gases, the continent is experiencing droughts, heatwaves, floods, and rising sea levels more frequently. To manage this challenge would require countries to invest in strategic approaches that would understand shortcomings, collaborate with research institutions to better understand climate phenomena, and create models that that would help prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters.

These are efforts and plans better started now—since the rains, at least this time, are not abating anytime soon.

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