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By Adeel Hassan
The names of those who died have been announced by officials, while families which survived the tragedy begin their long and difficult road to recovery.
Residents are growing increasingly angry with the government response after brush fires on Maui turned into one of the most deadly wildfires the nation has seen in over 100 years. The extent of the tragedy is also still unknown.
It is almost certain that there will be more deaths. Residents will also have to face the reality of rebuilding and surviving in one of the most expensive states in the nation. Housing costs are three times higher than the average national cost and the average state’s cost of living is almost double that.
The fires destroyed Lahaina, Hawaii’s former royal capital, due to the dry grass and strong winds. Some residents fled the area into the sea in order to escape the intense heat.
The Pacific Disaster Center is a research centre managed by the University of Hawaii. According to them, over 2,200 buildings were damaged in Lahaina, the majority of which were residential.
Maui Emergency Management Agency estimates that rebuilding will cost around $5.52 billion.
Biden is scheduled to visit Maui Monday, to assess the damages and to meet with victims and rescue workers.
Maui Fires have killed at least 110 people, the most in the United States since 1918 when fires in north-east Minnesota caused the deaths of hundreds.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green gave an interview to CNN Monday. Josh Green warns that the death toll may double in the next ten days.
According to a news release by the County Maui, Robert Dyckman (74), and Buddy Jantoc (79), both from Lahaina were also among the deceased.
Several of the injuries were critical.
The large scale destruction of Maui and its remoteness have made it difficult for search dogs from other states to arrive. The teams searched approximately 38 percent of disaster areas as of Tuesday.
John Pelletier, Chief of Maui Police Department said that four victims who have died already had their fingerprints identified. Green, the Governor of Hawaii, said Wednesday that there are over 1,000 missing people. Maui County officials will compare the DNA profiles provided by those searching for their missing relatives with 13 of the DNA profiles from deceased people and 41 samples submitted by individuals.
Residents in West Maui were frustrated after the tragedy. They said that an informal network of volunteers was providing far greater assistance to them than the government. Some even ferrying supplies on their boats.
After the Lahaina fire, several residents and evacuated people were still without electricity and Internet service. Many evacuees chose to sleep in parks, while others sought refuge in homes which had survived or in friends’ houses in that community.
In the last few days, federal and county aid has increased. FEMA paid out nearly $2 million in aid to 1200 survivors as of Tuesday. Keith Turi said that approximately 3,400 individuals had requested assistance.
In many cases, warning sirens did not work. Fire hydrants were also dry. This raised concerns about the possibility of saving more lives if emergency responses had been improved.
It is possible that power lines active that were blown down by high winds started a fire that eventually consumed Lahaina.
Maui and Hawaii already had brush fires on the 8th of August. Maui County officials sent out an alert a few hours after the small brushfire in Lahaina was contained. They described a flare-up which forced residents to leave.
The fires were sparked by the low humidity and the strong mountain wind brought on by Hurricane Dora. This Category 4 storm, which was hundreds of miles away, caused the island to burn.
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According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, nearly 16 percent of Maui County experienced a severe dry spell last week.
Hawaiian Electric, state’s biggest utility, and the parent company for the Maui power provider, has been accused of failing to electrify power lines despite being warned of strong winds, using equipment that could not withstand them. Victims have been represented by law firms in lawsuits.
Shelee K. Kimura, Hawaiian Electric’s Chief Executive, spoke on Monday at a press conference. She said that her company did not have an automatic shutoff system and that cutting off the electricity could be problematic for people who use medical devices powered by electricity. She said that it would have required coordination with emergency personnel to shut off the electricity.
On Monday, state and local officials announced that they would consider a sales moratorium for damaged or destroyed property in order to stop outsiders exploiting this disaster.
If you plan to visit West Maui in the coming months, either delay your trip or choose another destination. The majority of 1,000 rooms have been reserved for rescuers and evacuees.
The damage to tourism will make it difficult to rebuild the economy of the island.
The climate change issue is more of a long-term problem.
Hawaii’s fires have increased four-fold since the 1970s. Climate scientists say that invasive grasses, climate change, and dry, hot conditions have caused wildfires to spread more quickly.
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