Aloha Friend,

We have suffered a terrible disaster in the form of wildfires that have spread on Maui and the Big Island as a result of hurricane force winds and underlying drought conditions.

Much of Lahaina on Maui has been destroyed and hundreds of local families have been displaced.

Here is a link to the Hawaii Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund, which is currently being used to support communities affected by the wildfires on Maui.

The heroic efforts of our first responders have prevented many casualties, but we have suffered tragic loss of life on Maui.

Our entire emergency response team, including the national guard, has mobilized and is being supported by FEMA.

President Biden has ordered all available Federal assets to support the response to the wildfires, and the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy 3rd Fleet are supporting the rescue and relief efforts.

The White House has been incredibly supportive and we expect to submit a request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration in the next 24 hours once we can assess the extent of the damage.

I will continue to keep you updated on our response to the fires and their aftermath as the situation develops.

Our state appreciates the incredible outpouring of concern and prayers from the mainland and from around the world.

We won’t forget all the aloha and support.

Mahalo,

Governor Josh Green