Biden visits Hawaii for the first time since devastating fires

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on Monday traveled to Maui to meet with emergency personnel, state and local officials, and survivors of the wildfires. Biden is expected to appoint FEMA Region 9 Administrator Bob Fenton as the Chief Federal Response Coordinator to oversee the federal recovery effort in Hawaii. Some members of Congress, such as Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., have criticized the president for not visiting the island sooner.

How many people are still missing? At least 850 people are still missing in the town of Lahaina and the surrounding area, said Maui Mayor Richard Bissen. At least 114 people have been confirmed dead, according to the Maui Police Department. Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, on Sunday said about 85 percent of the area affected by the fire had been searched. Nearly 2,000 people were without power, and water in parts of western Maui was not safe to drink on Sunday, Schatz said.

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.