Maui Wildfire Update – September 29 as of 12 p.m.
Aloha,
Here are the latest Maui wildfire news, updates, and resources you need to know.
Reentry to Lahaina continues as officials work on long-term housing options for displaced families.
- Residents of Zones 2C – Kuuipo Street, 2D – Aa Street and 2E – Lokia Street will be allowed to return to their properties starting next week.
- Governor Green announced a new phase of the Maui shelter program:
- Nearly 8,000 people – roughly 80% of the population affected by the disaster – have received non-congregate shelter and support services in 40 hotels and other lodging since the disaster.
- Over half of the 3,164 households using the non-congregate shelter program have established that they are fully eligible to continue in the Red Cross program until transitional housing, such as an apartment or vacation rental, is available.
- As of this week, about 800 households in non-congregate sheltering had yet to establish full eligibility.
- He said the state and Red Cross will ensure people have a place to stay, either in a hotel or an alternative such as a vacation rental.
Lahaina fire survivors face challenges with insurance claims and no clear answers about additional support.
- The Senate Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection held a briefing at the Lahaina Civic Center yesterday to discuss how to help those uninsured and underinsured, and how insurance adjusters can safely access homes in the burn zone to quickly process claims.
- Fire survivors with property insurance repeatedly have told the Star-Advertiser that FEMA denied their applications for financial assistance, and they were told to seek compensation through their insurers first.
- Insurance companies said the decision to shut down the fire zone has prevented adjustors from visiting properties to assess the extent of the damage they suffered. Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs officials said they lack the authority to grant entrance to insurance adjusters.
The looming government shutdown could slow Maui’s recovery, but FEMA officials on the ground say it would not impact immediate relief efforts.
- Sen. Brian Schatz urged Congress to pass a bipartisan short-term spending bill to keep the government open. Here’s the latest on the shutdown.
- Hawai‘i Representative Jill Tokuda said, “Every agency of government, this has to be, must be, a whole government approach to how we take care of our people.”
- UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham noted there is a potential risk of the disaster relief program running out of money if FEMA is not funded, but the length of the shutdown dictates the severity of the repercussions the state would feel.
Mahalo nui loa,
Your BG Team