The federal government has approved $3.8 million in aid to about 1,640 families in Maui to help survivors of the devastating wildfire, FEMA said.
The White House and FEMA approved one-time payments of $700 per household for needs such as clothing, food or transportation. The agency will also cover the cost of staying in hotels and motels for survivors, and said it had disbursed $1.6 million in rental assistance as of Friday.
The amount is expected to grow substantially. Thousands of buildings are estimated to have been damaged or destroyed in the fire, with much of Lahaina’s historic neighborhoods burned. After the Northern California wildfires devastated the city of Paradise in 2018, FEMA disbursed $238 million in assistance.
FEMA said Wednesday it will open a disaster recovery center in Maui to facilitate better and faster distribution of aid.
Survivors need to register with FEMA to be eligible for restitution and other assistance. As of Wednesday afternoon, about 4,400 Hawaii fire survivors had applied for so-called emergency needs assistance, according to FEMA press secretary Jeremy M. Edwards.
Long-term aid, which can be in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, may come with documentation requirements. In addition to the hotel and motel program and rental assistance, FEMA is providing Hawaii fire survivors with home repairs and reimbursements for personal property and other needs that insurance may not cover, Edwards said.
“FEMA is committed to ensuring that all disaster survivors receive every dollar of disaster assistance for which they are legally eligible,” he said.
Renowned disaster and risk modeling firm Karen Clark & Company estimates that more than 2,200 buildings were damaged or destroyed by the fire, with more than 3,000 buildings in total due to fire or smoke or both. The risk firm calculated that the Lahaina Fire caused approximately $3.2 billion in insured property damage.
The Small Business Administration, an independent U.S. government agency that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses, is urging businesses and nonprofits affected by the Maui wildfires to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans.
Businesses and private nonprofits of all sizes in the region can borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets.
These loans can also be used to make improvements to prevent future disaster losses.
“We are committed to being customer-focused, delivering federal disaster loans quickly and efficiently to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
Additionally, homeowners can receive up to $500,000 in disaster loans to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 in funding to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property, including personal vehicles.
Interest rates can be as low as 4% for businesses, as low as 2.375% for private nonprofits, and as low as 2.5% for homeowners and tenants, for terms of up to 30 years.
To apply for assistance or small business loans, businesses and individuals can contact FEMA at:
Svlook
