Today just might be "D-Day" for residents of Pahoa village on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Authorities think any moment now the ribbon of molten lava that's been creeping towards a residential area for many weeks will finally make contact with the main village road.
SOUNDBITE: RESIDENT JOHN MILARE SAYING:
"It's sad. It's devastating. You know? And you can only imagine, unless you've lived it, you really don't know what it's like."
The lava is threatening some 50 homes that lie in a so-called "corridor of risk".
Roger and Carolyn Simons had already moved out.
Like so many residents of this former sugar plantation, all they can do is watch and wait.
SOUNDBITE: RESIDENT CAROLYN SIMONS SAYING:
"Our dream was to retire here and this is just a disaster in slow motion, it's been so unbelievably surreal."
The National Guard were deployed on Thursday to help local police reach out to residents.
Even as the lava licks at the edges of the v