Aug. 21 (UPI) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are to visit Maui on Monday where responders continue to search for more than 1,000 people left unaccounted for nearly two weeks since wildfires devastated the Hawaii island.
The White House said the president and first lady are to meet with survivors, first responders and emergency personnel as well as state and local officials to extend the message that the entire nation stands with Hawaii during its time of grief and recovery.
“I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures and traditions,” the president said in a Sunday statement issued by the White House ahead of his visit.
“Jill and I are eager to meet with the brave first responders in Lahaina tomorrow, to spend time with families and community members, and witness firsthand what will be required for the community to recover. We will be here as long as it takes for Maui.”
It’s been nearly two weeks since the tragic wildfires erupted in Hawaii on Aug. 8, burning thousands of acres on Maui island, including the historic town of Lahaina.
On Saturday, Maui county confirmed a death toll of 114 with 85% of the disaster area searched.
However, Gov. Josh Green told CBS News’ Face The Nation on Sunday that about 1,050 people remain unaccounted for.
“It will take several weeks, still — some of the challenges are going to be extraordinary,” he said.
Army search and rescue teams and 41 dogs are involved in the effort that is now moving to inspect larger buildings, which requires the need to sift through the walls and structures, he said.
“The last 15% could take weeks,” he said. “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.”
He warned that among the dead could be “many children” who were home during the day because of school closures.
“This is the largest catastrophe and disaster that’s ever hit Maui, probably that’s ever hit Hawaii outside of wartime events,” he said. “Right now we are trying to make sure everyone is sheltered, and we begin to get all the federal resources we can to make life in some way livable for the survivors. That’s where we are at the moment.”
In an update posted to his Facebook page on Sunday, a tired-looking Green said more than 1,800 people displaced by the fires have been housed in hotel rooms, leaving “very few people” in shelters.
More than 7,000 have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency support, he said.
Green told Hawaiians in the message that when Biden arrives, he’ll argue to ensure recovery efforts are delivered as soon as possible.
“It’s my job to go get the resources we need, but then I’ll be taking input from everyone across our state, and we will listen to the voices of Lahaina to tell us how and when we rebuild,” he said.
