HONOLULU — The president of the United States has approved Hawaii’s request for help for residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged during a volcanic eruption.
HONOLULU — The president of the United States has approved Hawaii’s request for help for residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged during a volcanic eruption.
Gov. David Ige says President Donald Trump approved the request for individual assistance Thursday.
Ige says qualifying residents may receive help from the federal government for issues such as shelter, unemployment, trauma and legal matters.
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed since May 3, when Kilauea volcano erupted and opened fissures that oozed lava across a mostly rural section of the Big Island.
Hawaii’s congressional delegation urged Trump to act quickly on Ige’s request. They note the eruption includes fountains of lava shooting several hundred feet high, ash and toxic gases in the air and lava covering roads, electricity lines and neighborhoods.