Before-and-after photos reveal Hawaii's volcanic destruction

The ongoing volcanic eruptions on Hawaii's Big Island have caused severe damage to residential neighborhoods surrounding the Kilauea volcano.

The eruptions are showing no signs of slowing down. On Tuesday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) issued a rare "red alert" warning, which means a major eruption is imminent and that the ash clouds emitted from the volcano can affect air traffic.

The volcano continues to belch noxious fumes, like sulfur dioxide, which can make breathing difficult for children and the elderly. Geologists are also warning that the eruption may enter a more violent stage, spewing lava and hurtling boulders hundreds of feet in the air.

Neighborhoods in the volcano's vicinity have been hit particularly hard by the eruption, and over 1,000 people have evacuated.

DigitalGlobe, a technology firm that operates a network of private satellites, provided Business Insider with a series of satellite images showing the damage from the eruptions. Below, photos of the affected neighborhoods from 2017 are juxtaposed with images taken this week of the same area.

Here are the before-after-photos of the damage:

See Also:

• The Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii triggered the state's highest-level warning, indicating it could become 'more explosive'

• Hawaii could see acid rain and boulders falling from the sky, warnings suggest — and fear is mounting as more cracks appear

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SEE ALSO: A volcano eruption in Hawaii has caused lava to pour into a residential neighborhood — here's what it looks like on the ground