Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell holds a press conference on Hurricane Ian at FEMA Headquarters on September 28, 2022 in Washington, DC.
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FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell described harrowing conditions in Maui after wildfires left at the very least 96 people dead, the deadliest American wildfire in over a century.
“Nothing can prepare you for what I saw during my time here and nothing can prepare them for the emotional toll of the impact that this severe event has taken,” Criswell told reporters on the White House Monday, speaking over video from Hawaii.
She said there are greater than 300 FEMA employees on the bottom, who’ve served 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water and distributed 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets. FEMA has yet to place out initial estimates of what the fee of the wildfires shall be but others have placed the fee around $5.6 billion. [LINK]
“It’s really far too early to inform what the full cost goes to be,” Criswell said. “As we proceed to improve fidelity on the impact as we are able to get into the realm and assess the true extent of infrastructure damage, that is once we’ll have a greater idea of what the full cost shall be.”
Blocks of homes have been turned to ash and rubble from Tuesday’s wildfire.Â
Robert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
FEMA has now begun to transition survivors from shelters to hotel rooms.
“This may allow them to maneuver from shelters into pre-identified hotels or motels temporarily as they develop their long run housing strategies,” said Criswell.
Criswell said the states Governor Josh Green can be working with Airbnb to supply rooms for displaced Hawaiians as well.
“We’re already seeing an incredible amount of resiliency across the community because they’re coming together to support one another as they work through what that is going to seem like in the longer term.”
Criswell said search and rescue efforts proceed but are impacted by the hazardous conditions. Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said on Saturday that search dogs have only undergone 3% of the disaster area within the historic town of Lahaina to date.
“We wish to make certain that we’re doing this as quickly as possible but that we do it in a way that is methodical and appropriate and culturally sensitive to make certain that we’re going to give you the chance to account for everyone,” Criswell said. “So we’d like to provide them the space and time to do this.”
