Trump OKs federal aid for Oahu and Kauai victims of April floods
BRUCE ASATO / basato@staradvertiser.com
Residents of a Papai Street home in Aina Haina try to salvage possessions and clean up their property two days after April 13’s torrential rain in East Oahu. Federal assistance is now available for Kauai and Oahu victims of the mid-April flooding.
People whose homes were damaged or destroyed on Kauai and Oahu by April’s record rainfall and flooding will be eligible for federal aid after President Donald Trump approved Hawaii’s request to help individuals, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced today.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will open “Disaster Recovery Centers” on both islands to connect people to federal resources, Schatz (D, Hawaii) said in a statement, although the dates were not disclosed.
Trump previously approved federal funds to reimburse government agencies for rebuilding on both islands, such as repairing bridges and a two-mile stretch of Kuhio Highway on Kauai’s north shore.
“FEMA has been a great partner throughout the recovery process, and we thank the administration for approving this request,” Schatz said in a statement. “The communities on Kauai and Oahu are still rebuilding, and these new resources will be helpful in that effort. This decision also means that FEMA will open Disaster Recovery Centers on both islands so that people will have direct access to resources.”
