Mayor Bernard Carvalho has issued a declaration of emergency for Kaua‘i following flooding and high winds experienced on the island between Dec. 11 and Dec. 15, according to a written statement Friday.
“I’ve made a visual assessment of the Westside and had a chance to review the residents’ claims that have been filed to date, and I feel the declaration is warranted,” Carvalho said in the statement. “We want to ensure that our residents have every access to financial assistance if they suffered damages to their homes or businesses.”
With the declaration, residents who have verified damages can make a claim for property tax relief with the County.
The Finance Department issued a notice to real property taxpayers Friday announcing that the Director of Finance is “authorized to provide real property tax relief for homes that were partially or wholly damaged or destroyed as a result of the flood water event that occurred.”
The announcement specified that claims should be the result of “flood waters overflowing the banks or walls of a river or stream.”
Kaua‘i experienced numerous flash flood watches and warnings last week and also was placed under a tornado warning briefly last Saturday. The night before, Gov. Linda Lingle signed a state disaster proclamation for the counties of Kaua‘i, Maui and Honolulu.
The county’s response included road closures at the Hanalei Bridge, Mailihuna and Keaka roads in Kapa‘a, Kukui‘ula Bypass Road, Kekaha Road between Kala Road and Io Road, and Hanapepe Road at Kaumauali‘i Highway, as well as lane closures at Kalihiwai Bridge and on Anini Beach Road, and cleaning, pumping and repairing required for a sewage spill along Waialo Road near ‘Ele‘ele Shopping Center.
Furthermore, the Kaua‘i Fire Department’s Ocean Safety Bureau closed all beaches and residents and visitors were encouraged to stay out of potentially hazardous brown water.
The Kaua‘i Civil Defense Agency accepted damage reports from residents throughout the week. As of Friday, 50 reports had been filed totaling $1,132,595 in estimated damages, according to the statement.
The damage reports ranged in value from $200 to $250,000, not including 16 reports that did not include an estimated value of loss.
Next week, the Kaua‘i Civil Defense Agency will work with other County agencies and the Red Cross to create damage assessment teams to go out into the community and inspect property damage that has been reported. The public is encouraged to continue to report their weather-related damages to 241-1800.For more information, please call the Real Property Tax office at 241-6226.
Homeowners, who may file for a disaster tax relief claim within 60 days of the date of the disaster, must have paperwork in no later than Feb. 11, 2009. Forms are available at the Department of Finance Real Property Tax office in the Lihu’e Civic Center or on the county Web site, www.kauai.gov
