Topline
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $5.6 million in relief for Maui residents affected by recent wildfires, the agency announced Friday, after thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed across the Hawaiian island in the deadliest American wildfire in over a century.
An estimated 4,400 survivors have applied for assistance as of Wednesday.
Key Facts
The funding—which includes more than $2.3 million in rental assistance—will be provided to nearly 2,000 households across Maui, according to FEMA, which said it would pay for survivors to stay in hotels.
Each household will receive a one-time payment of $700, which will help provide for needs like clothing, food or transportation, the agency said.
The agency said it will establish a disaster recovery center at the University of Hawaii Maui College in Kahului—located north of Lahaina—to distribute resources and provide assistance.
An estimated 4,400 people have applied for assistance as of Wednesday, a FEMA spokesperson told the Associated Press.
FEMA is offering to pay for home repairs while providing personal property reimbursements, in addition to other needs that may not be covered by insurance, the spokesperson said.
Big Number
$3.2 billion. That’s the estimated cost in insured property losses for buildings damaged by wildfires in Lahaina, according to risk modeling firm Karen Clark & Company. An estimated 2,200 structures were damaged or destroyed by fire.
Surprising Fact
Between 2018 and 2020, FEMA has provided more than $238 million in assistance to local and state government agencies following wildfires in California’s Butte County in 2018. The fires burned more than 153,000 acres over 16 days while destroying nearly 19,000 buildings, according to the agency.
Key Background
At least 111 people have died in wildfires across Maui, while more than 1,000 people are still unaccounted for, according to local officials. Lahaina was “almost totally burnt to the ground” because of the fires. The city has an estimated population of 12,702, according to 2020 census data. The Maui fires are the deadliest blaze since 1918, though the death toll is expected to climb as search and rescue efforts continue. Maui officials have been criticized for their initial response to the wildfires, after Herman Andaya—the head of Maui’s emergency management agency—indicated that sounding the island’s 80 emergency alarms would have endangered people’s lives. The island’s residents. were “trained to seek higher ground” when the sirens sound, Andaya said, which would have caused them to run toward the fires. Andaya resigned Thursday, citing unspecified “health reasons.”
Further Reading
Maui Officials Say Warning Sirens Would Not Have Saved Lives As Fire Death Toll Climbs To 111 (Forbes)
Maui Wildfire Becomes Deadliest U.S. Blaze In Over A Century—Surpassing These Other Fires (Forbes)
Biden Announces Visit To Hawaii Wildfire Site After Criticisms Over His Slow Public Response (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2023/08/18/maui-wildfires-fema-approves-more-than-56-million-for-2000-households-including-rent-and-hotel-payments/