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| 'The Devastation Is Overwhelming,' says Biden as he visits Maui's wildfire damage |
After flames destroyed a village and killed more than 100 people, the president took time out of his vacation to meet with survivors and officials.
In his first visit since terrible wildfires left scenes of twisted metal and hollowed-out homes behind, President Biden on Monday saw the burnt ruins of Lahaina, a seaside hamlet on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
Mr. Biden took time out of his summer vacation to meet with fire survivors, first responders, state and municipal leaders, and residents of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The Democratic governor Josh Green was given a bear hug by the president as they walked arm in arm to Marine One for a 20-minute airborne tour of the rubble. With a green and yellow lei on his head, he informed the locals, "The entire country is here for you."
Mr. Biden remarked as he stood close to a damaged building, "The devastation is overwhelming."the beloved landmark banyan tree in Lahaina, which is 150 years old. He claimed that the tree represented the Maui community's tenacity.
Along with the first wife, Jill Biden, the president also sought to reassure the people of Maui that they will be a part of the rebuilding effort. He declared, "We will rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build, not the way others want to build. We will be respectful of the sacred grounds and the traditions."
Mr. Biden stated that federal officials were also committed to search and rescue activities because there are still several hundred persons in the area who are missing. According to Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, Mr. Biden's homeland security adviser, around 87 percent of the fire's impacted region has been searched for victims. Officials warned the president that they might not be able to identify every deceased person as dogs searched the last of the destroyed homes and automobiles.
Republicans have criticized the president for not speaking out loud enough about the fires that turned Lahaina into an inferno on August 8 in their opinion. A cordial reception for Biden may not be guaranteed in some circles on Maui, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser cautioned due to issues overrequesting for aid and Native Hawaiians' cultural sensitivity.
According to local congressional leaders, Maui needs billions of dollars to recover.
The president has maintained constant contact with the governor and Deanne Criswell, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to White House officials, who denied the allegation.
The disaster relief organization provided more than $8.5 million to Maui, including $3.6 million for direct rental assistance, Ms. Criswell told reporters on Monday. Nearly 2,000 victims had been relocated to hotel rooms in Maui, and more than 1,000 government officers were on the island.
There are many more multi-story structures on the part of the island that has not yet been checked, complicating search and rescue efforts. Officials may need another two weeks to complete the search, according to Ms. Criswell.
On Maui, FEMA is working to set up temporary schools. According to Ms. Criswell, "Four or five schools have been destroyed as a result of this fire."
On Monday, Mr. Biden noted that FEMA had provided 5,000 mattresses and 10,000 blankets in addition to 55,000 meals and 75,000 liters of water.
The organization has urged survivors to register with the government in order to be eligible for aid, which includes a $700 initial payout to cover food and water. More than 5,000 people had enrolled by last week's conclusion.
Senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, and other politicians cautioned that long-term federal aid would be required for Maui's recovery.
The residents of Maui want to know that everyone is aware of how difficult the journey will be; we understand that, he said. "However, we want the nation to understand that this isn't a matter of making an online donation and posting a hashtag. In the near future, we're going to require a huge number of resources.
After arriving in Lake Tahoe on Friday night, Mr. Biden traveled. He is residing at a home owned by billionaire climate investor Tom Steyer, who lost the Democratic presidential nomination to Joe Biden in 2020, on the Nevada side of the lake. White House representatives claimed the president was paying "fair market value" for the house rental but did not provide further information.
TheThe White House kept an eye on many natural disasters in addition to the wildfires in Maui. Just hours after a 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred northwest of Los Angeles on Sunday, Tropical Storm Hilary made landfall on the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico and started pouring rain over Southern California. According to officials, Mr. Biden discussed the tropical storm with California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday.
Mr. Biden compared his personal suffering to that of the mourning families, as he has done when visiting previous locations of natural catastrophes. He talked about the "hollow feeling you have in your chest like you're being sucked into a black hole" after losing his first wife and young daughter in an auto accident.
The nation "grieves with you, stands with you, and will do everything possible to help you recover," Mr. Biden addressed to the group of people.
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