FEMA Denies Hawaii’s Post-Storm Disaster RequestHONOLULU (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday denied Hawaiis request for a major disaster declaration after Tropical Storm Iselle. Iselle made landfall over the Big Islands isolated and rural Puna region nearly three weeks ago, knocking down trees and power lines. FEMA denied the request because it has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude to go beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies, the agency wrote to the state Thursday. Officials who toured the area about a week after the storm hit identified 28 homes with major damage and 11 that were destroyed, FEMA spokesman Casey De Shong said. About 20 percent of those homes had insurance, he said. The two factors combined ... really dont suggest the state of Hawaii was overwhelmed, De Shong said. It just didnt constitute a declaration. Approving Hawaiis request would have provided residents with help for uninsured damage such as home repair funds, low-interest loans and rental assistance. Gov. Neil Abercrombie has 30 days to appeal FEMAs decision. Storm surge and wind-driven waves flooded homes and moved them off their foundations in Kapoho, Hawaii County, Abercrombie wrote in his application to FEMA. High winds downed hundreds of albizia trees, destroying and damaging hundreds of homes and causing extensive damage to the electrical infrastructure. The storm impacted the most impoverished district in the state, he wrote, noting that 27.8 percent of residents live below the poverty rate. The state is disappointed, but its still possible FEMA will approve help with public infrastructure damage, said Shelly Kunishige, spokeswoman for State Civil Defense/Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. It would be nice, but I think there are a lot of volunteer groups on the ground, a lot of grassroots efforts to help the affected people out, Kunishige said, adding that the denial reinforces the need for the public to make donations to those groups. The last time Hawaii received a FEMA major disaster declaration, Kunishige said, was for severe storms and high winds that caused extensive flooding on Oahu in December 2008. __ Follow Jennifer Sinco Kelleher at ift.tt/1cxlZ5G .By Chloe Fox HONOLULU (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Thursday denied Hawaiis request for a major disaster declaration after Tropical Storm Iselle. Iselle made landfall over the Big Islands isolated and rural Puna region nearly three weeks ago, knocking down trees and power lines. FEMA denied the request because it has been determined that the damage from this event was not of such severity and magnitude to go beyond the capabilities of the state, affected local governments and voluntary agencies, the agency wrote to the state Thursday. Officials who toured the area about a week after the storm hit identified 28 homes with major damage and 11 that were destroyed, FEMA spokesman Casey De Shong said. About 20 percent of those homes had insurance, he said. The two factors combined ... really dont suggest the state of Hawaii was overwhelmed, De Shong said. It just didnt constitute a declaration. Approving Hawaiis request would have provided residents with help for uninsured damage such as home repair funds, low-interest loans and rental assistance. Gov. Neil Abercrombie has 30 days to appeal FEMAs decision. Storm surge and wind-driven waves flooded homes and moved them off their foundations in Kapoho, Hawaii County, Abercrombie wrote in his application to FEMA. High winds downed hundreds of albizia trees, destroying and damaging hundreds of homes and causing extensive damage to the electrical infrastructure. The storm impacted the most impoverished district in the state, he wrote, noting that 27.8 percent of residents live below the poverty rate. The state is disappointed, but its still possible FEMA will approve help with public infrastructure damage, said Shelly Kunishige, spokeswoman for State Civil Defense/Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. It would be nice, but I think there are a lot of volunteer groups on the ground, a lot of grassroots efforts to help the affected people out, Kunishige said, adding that the denial reinforces the need for the public to make donations to those groups. The last time Hawaii received a FEMA major disaster declaration, Kunishige said, was for severe storms and high winds that caused extensive flooding on Oahu in December 2008. __ Follow Jennifer Sinco Kelleher at ift.tt/1cxlZ5G . Source:: huffingtonpost ift.tt/1gB4pon
Posted on: Fri, 29 Aug 2014 01:14:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015