FEMA comes to Maui as death toll rises

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided over a million pounds of food and supplies to the fire-ravaged island. FEMA also provided housing for 220 displaced families and has partnered with the Red Cross to “make sure everyone is housed.” Green said rebuilding from the wildfires will take years and billions of dollars. Maui has already started receiving disaster relief grants from the state and the Hawaii Community Foundation.

How are rebuilding efforts? After visiting Maui, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said, “Nothing can prepare you for what I saw.” On Tuesday, authorities reported a death toll of 106, which they expect to double in the coming days. Only 25 percent of the burn area has been searched for survivors. Officials do not know how the fires started, but they believe poor siren warning systems contributed to the high number of fatalities.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, listen to Sarah Schweinsberg’s report on how a California town was rebuilt after a wildfire that killed dozens of people.