President George W. Bush yesterday declared a major disaster exists in the State of Hawai‘i, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, which were hit by severe storms and flooding in mid-December. While
President George W. Bush yesterday declared a major disaster exists in the State of Hawai‘i, ordering federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts on Kaua‘i and O‘ahu, which were hit by severe storms and flooding in mid-December.
While Bush’s declaration makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the City and County of Honolulu, individuals on Kaua‘i will not have access to those funds for the time being, according to a representative of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) contacted by The Garden Island yesterday evening.
However, federal funding is available to local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms on both islands, according to a press release from the White House.
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
“We haven’t received official word on the presidential declaration yet, but this is certainly good news. The administration will be meeting over the next couple of days to discuss how this will affect our restoration efforts to county facilities damaged in mid-December,” county spokeswoman Mary Daubert said in an e-mail message when informed of the declaration yesterday.
“We will also be working closely with FEMA and the Small Business Administration in support of their efforts to assist Kaua‘i residents with grants and loans for their losses,” she said.
Ray Lovell, spokesman for the state Civil Defense office, said officials roughly estimate that the value of damage to private homes, property and farms could reach as high as $40 million, and that damage to public infrastructure could cost an additional $10 million to repair.
The federal assistance stems from a Dec. 24 request from Gov. Linda Lingle.
“We will be swift in our efforts, along with our partners at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to help Hawaii disaster victims,” Sandy K. Baruah, acting administrator of the Small Business Administration, said in a statement.
The aid announced Monday will not apply to agricultural losses. The federal Department of Agriculture is now reviewing a separate request from Lingle for that assistance, Lovell said.
R. David Paulison, Administrator of FEMA’s Department of Homeland Security, named Kenneth R. Tingman as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area, according to the White House statement.
FEMA said that residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can begin applying for assistance today by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA or, for the hearing and speech impaired, 1-800-462-7585.
The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice, the statement said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
