Over 1,000 unaccounted for in the wake of Hawaii wildfires.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Maui on Monday to meet emergency responders, survivors, and community members, as well as federal, state, and local officials, and survey the area devastated by the deadly wildfires.
The White House announced that “more than 1,000 Federal personnel are on the ground in Maui to aid response efforts“ and the president appointed “FEMA Regional Administrator for Region 9 Bob Fenton ‘Chief Federal Response Coordinator‘ for Maui to oversee the long-term coordinated federal recovery as Hawaii rebuilds.“
Governor Josh Green of Hawaii stated that search and rescue teams continue their efforts after the wildfires. He said, “More than 1,000 are unaccounted for, about 1,050. It will take several weeks still. Some of the challenges are going to be extraordinary.“
He continued, “So 85 percent of the land has been covered. Now we go into the larger buildings which require peeling back some of the floors and structures. That last 15 percent could take weeks.”
The governor added, “We do have extreme concerns that, because of the temperature of the fire, the remains of those who have died, in some cases, may be impossible to recover meaningfully. So there are going to be people that are lost forever. And right now we’re working obviously with the FBI and everyone on the ground to make sure that we do what we can to assess who’s missing.“
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the president and first lady as they offer consolation in the wake of natural disasters.
- For the governor of Hawaii and his administration as they seek to help residents recover from the devastation and loss.
- For search and rescue workers and FBI officials as they make efforts to account for the missing.
Sources: News Nation, NY Times, The White House
