US President Biden declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Hawai’i and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the ongoing wildfires that began on August 8.
His action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in Maui County.
US Senator Mazy Hirono pushed the White House for this move in a press conference last night.
In the meantime, 80% of the fires are under control in Maui County, bringing the true devastation it left behind out. The official death toll of 36 is expected to rise once phone and cell phone services can be reconnected in the stricken areas of Maui.
