But they say this time is much different, and it will take even longer to recover.
A number of farmers say they were still dealing with debt they racked up after Hurricane Iselle in 2014.
The difference with that natural disaster was that they were able to rebuild on their land.
Now lava has completely covered thousands of acres of farm land, so they explain that it’s a total loss.
Lava claimed nearly a dozen orchid farms in the Puna area. The orchid farms represent decades of hard work, passed down from generation to generation.
