Lava flows are the most common and direct hazards of Hawaiian eruptions. It also causes great damage to property. Other hazards can be ash, cinder, Pele's hair, and volcanic gases. The greatest danger caused by the explosive eruptions are the pyroclastic surges. These surges are turbulent gas clouds that flow quickly along the ground carrying hot ash and rock fragments. Another hazard created by volcanoes is ground movement, which causes large cracks in the road and property damage. When lava flows, it damages people's property, livelihood, and causes personal grief.

Another danger from volcanoes is the gases emitted from eruptions. The gas clouds rising from an active vent on Kilauea consists of water vapor, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and hydrogen floride. For the most part these gases do not harm the healthy person, but it can be dangerous for a person with a heart or respiratory ailments, such asthma. These gases becomes most dangerous when it combines with water and the sulfur dioxide forms sulfuric acid, which can harm skin, cloth, metal, and other materials. When volcanic clouds mix with atmospheric moisture, acid rain results. Acid rain can slow down the growth of plant life downwind and can also cause the water supply to be contaminated with lead.

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