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Posted
August 10, 2023 at 7:45 AM HST
President Biden has ordered federal aid to supplement state funds for recovery efforts of those affected by the wildfires. His approval on Thursday officially declares Hawaiʻi a “disaster area.”
Federal assistance includes grants for temporary housing, home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses and more. Funds were also made available to select nonprofits for debris removal and protection.
“I pledge to spare no resources to combat the destructive wildfires, shelter the displaced, treat and bring comfort to the traumatized, support our first responders, restore communication lines, and enlist the aid of our federal and county partners to confront this once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe,” said Gov. Josh Green in a press release Thursday.
The White House announced that Maona N. Ngwira of the Federal Emergency Management Agency had been appointed to coordinate the funding.
Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the wildfires in Maui. Our prayers are with those whose homes, businesses, and communities are destroyed.
We are grateful to the first responders putting themselves in harm’s way to save lives.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 9, 2023
Additionally, the governor has ordered that both the national and state flag be flown at half-staff. Non-essential government employees have been granted work leave from Thursday to Sunday. The leave does not apply to state disaster coordinators, disaster response workers, hospital workers and correctional workers.
Meanwhile, emergency departures from Maui continue to take place. A mass bus evacuation for residents and visitors in west Maui is set to resume at 8:30 a.m. today from Whalers Village, according to the County of Maui. Three large coach buses will take visitors to the airport and residents to a central Maui shelter.
Around 2,000 people were sheltered at Kahului Airport on Wednesday, reported the Associated Press. An evacuation center has been set up at the Hawaiʻi Convention Center on Oʻahu as well, which can hold up to 4,000 people.
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