KAHULUI, Hawaii — President Biden and first woman Jill Biden arrived in Maui on Monday to consolation survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped by means of the western a part of the Hawaiian island, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope continues to be unknown.
The Bidens lingered briefly on the tarmac after arriving at Kahului Airport to console Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his spouse Jaime Green in addition to members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation who got here to the airport to greet them.
The president and first woman embraced every of their greeters earlier than boarding Marine One to get an aerial tour of the devastation brought on by the fires.
The Bidens interrupted a weeklong trip within the Lake Tahoe space for the five-hour flight to Lahaina, a historic city of 13,000 those who was just about destroyed by the flames. The couple will meet with first responders and be briefed by state and native officers in regards to the ongoing response.
The Democratic president will ship remarks paying tribute to the victims of the wildfires, which have killed greater than 100 folks since they erupted on Aug. 8.
The White House introduced Monday that Biden has named Bob Fenton, a regional chief on the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be the chief federal response coordinator for the Maui wildfires, making certain that somebody from his administration shall be accountable for long-term restoration efforts. It will take years to rebuild Lahaina, the place nearly each constructing was obliterated.
“I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life,” Biden stated in an announcement earlier than the journey. “I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy.”
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen stated in a social media publish Sunday that 27 victims had been recognized and 11 households have been notified of the losses. The FBI and the Maui County health worker and coroner’s workplace are working collectively to determine the recovered stays.
Bissen stated 850 names have been on an inventory of lacking folks, taking hope from the truth that the preliminary checklist contained greater than 2,000 names.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”