#fema maui

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person staffing at the two public-facing recovery centers on Maui in the coming weeks.

Beginning Monday, May 12 through Friday, May 16, the modular homes will be hauled nightly from the staging site near the Kahului small boat ramp to Lahaina.

All 237 nonhistorical, concrete pilings along Front Street in Lahaina have been removed — totaling approximately 500 tons of material. A press release announcement from the County of Maui described the achievement as “a significant step forward in Maui wildfire recovery efforts.”

Calling it a “significant milestone,” the County of Maui Department of Environmental Management Wastewater Reclamation Division announced that Lahaina’s County sewer system is now 100% active. The progress comes as homes and businesses look to rebuild after the August 2023 wildfire.

Construction is set to begin in October 2025 as part of ongoing recovery efforts.

Wildfire survivors currently in FEMA’s Direct Housing Program will be required to begin paying rent on March 1, 2025. The rental requirement will be in effect for the remainder of FEMA’s housing assistance program, which has been extended through Feb. 10, 2026.  

Sacred Hearts temporary school now consists of 13 air-conditioned classrooms housed within existing buildings on the leased property, two portable enrichment classrooms, a school office, mental health counseling rooms and maintenance areas.

The focus has now shifted to commercial debris removal. Currently, all but eight commercial properties in Lahaina have been cleared and completed. All commercial properties are projected to be completed by early 2025.  

The Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are updating Maui wildfire survivors on the rental assistance program, which has been extended beyond Feb. 10, 2025. As part of this extension, FEMA will begin collecting rent from Direct Housing Assistance participants beginning March 1, 2025, based on their ability to pay. FEMA has begun the process of notifying affected families of this change.

Lahainaluna Road will officially reopen for unrestricted public access at 6 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, according to an announcement from the County of Maui.

Starting Wednesday, Oct. 30, the County of Maui’s Disaster Recovery Community Update Meetings will be held at a new location in the cafeteria at Lahaina Intermediate School. The school is located at 871 Lahainaluna Road; the cafeteria is makai of the main parking lot.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring to fill spots at its new Long Term Recovery Office on Maui. The agency is seeking qualified and passionate individuals to join the team as Maui continues to recover following the Aug. 2023 wildfires.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded an additional $7.9 million in funding to the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services to expand the state’s Disaster Case Management Program. This additional funding will enable the program to expand its current reach by more than double, capable of serving approximately 3,000 households. 

After marking one year since devastating wildfires swept through West Maui and Upcountry, state, county and federal leaders gathered to recap response and ongoing recovery. The fires destroying the town of Lahaina, claiming the lives of 102 people and leaving thousands displaced. The process toward recovery is ongoing with housing of wildfire survivors remaining a key focal point.

FEMA Contracting Officer Demetria Carter recalls that not a single local vendor ultimately awarded a FEMA contract had ever been registered before on the federal government’s System for Award Management, or SAM.gov. She did her research and reached out to companies that provide a variety of services on Maui.

“Having an understanding of Hawaiian culture, its outlook and its behaviors, and how it manifests into our communities, was extremely important for people to know,” said Hōkūlani Holt, Maui cultural practitioner in a FEMA interview.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency reflected upon a challenging year marked by the Aug. 8 wildfires disaster. FEMA administrators say major recovery projects highlight the community’s resilience and the role of FEMA in supporting rebuilding efforts.

State and local government leaders joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency in reflecting upon the one year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023 Maui wildfires. Leaders shared their focus on a shift toward long-term recovery while supporting the community’s resilience as it moves forward.

Gov. Josh Green provided an update on the ongoing Maui wildfire recovery as the one year mark nears on Aug. 8, 2023. As of July 5, 2024, the state had cleared all individuals from the non-congregate sheltering (NCS) program at hotels; however, there were still 62 families that were finalizing their arrangements with the federal government to transition into longer-term housing. That’s down from the 3,071 families that were being accommodated in hotels in the aftermath of the wildfires.

Just five households remain sheltered at two hotel sites on Maui as the one-year mark since the Aug. 8, 2023 wildfires is just over a month away. The emergency hotel sheltering program managed by the state ended on June 30.