Supplies for Lahaina fire victims are gathered and delivered by Hawaiians sailing on a big catamaran who often sail around the globe together to Lahaina neighborhoods.
Robert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Officials in Hawaii are encouraging tourists to go to Maui to assist support the economy as unemployment claims surge on the island within the wake of deadly wildfires within the western region.
West Maui is off limits to visitors through at the very least Oct. 17 as search and recovery efforts proceed within the devastated town of Lahaina, based on Gov. Josh Green’s latest emergency proclamation.
However the governor and the Hawaii Tourism Authority are encouraging tourists to go to all other areas of Maui to assist support an area economy reeling from the devastation brought on by the fires.
Sen. Brian Schatz said furloughs and layoffs are starting to select up because people think the entire island is closed.
Unemployment claims in Maui have skyrocketed from 130 shortly before the fires to 4,449 as of last week, based on data from the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Schatz encouraged tourists to go to South Maui, saying “If you happen to are planning a visit to Wailea or Kihei, don’t cancel. If you desire to come to Hawaii pls consider South Maui” in a social media post Thursday.
Green said on Monday that the affected area is confined to West Maui, adding the remainder of the island and the state were protected.
“If you come, you’ll support our local economy and help speed the recovery of the those who are suffering immediately,” Green said on Monday during a press conference with President Joe Biden.
No less than 115 persons are dead and the world has sustained billions of dollars in property damage within the wake of the deadliest fires within the U.S. in greater than a century and the worst disaster in Hawaii state history.
Moody’s estimated this week the wildfires have caused between $4 billion and $6 billion in economic losses. The estimate is probably going low since it focuses on damage to physical infrastructure.
The figure didn’t think about the expected hit that Hawaii’s overall gross domestic product will take, the cash government agencies have spent on the response and the social costs.
Moody’s said the rebuilding process will add to the overall economic losses as a result of the impact of inflation during a recovery that is predicted to take years, the high cost of labor in the development industry and due to the steep expenses of products related to Maui’s distant location.
