Hawai Wildfires: US President Joe Biden to visit Maui disaster site with aid in hand
Reuters, the fires, which ravaged a significant portion of the Maui resort town of Lahaina last week, resulted in a tragic loss of 110 lives. During the visit, Biden will personally witness the extent of the damage and hold discussions with first responders, survivors, and various governmental representatives at the federal, state, and local levels, The White House said in a statement. "I remain committed to delivering everything the people of Hawaii need as they recover from this disaster," Biden said in a post on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has warned the death toll could double. The inferno spread rapidly from grasslands outside town into Lahaina last Tuesday, catching people by surprise and charring a 5-square-mile (13-square-km) area of town in hours. The fire destroyed 2,200 buildings and caused an estimated $5.5 billion in damage, officials said.
On Wednesday, President Biden granted approval to Hawaii's appeal for complete federal reimbursement of expenses related to 30 days of emergency operations planned over the upcoming four months. Deanne Criswell, the director of the US Federal Emergency Management Administration, announced this development during a press briefing held at the White House, Reuters reported. Also Read: Hawaii wildfires: Death toll rises to 89, search for the missing continues.
10 updates As of the briefing on Wednesday, the federal government has provided $2.3 million in aid to families and has given the green light to over 1,300 assistance registrations, according to Criswell. In response to local frustration, town officials took the step on Wednesday of reopening a major road that passes through the town. This decision was made after
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