President Joe Biden is traveling to Maui on Monday to inspect the damage from wildfires which have left over 100 people dead.
The visit will begin with a helicopter tour of the island to view the damage, followed by a ground tour to see the damage up close, according to Fox News.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will also be meeting with survivors, first responders and emergency personnel, and state and local officials, according to a statement from President Biden.
Since the fires began on August 8, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said on an Instagram post that the death toll has continued to grow and reached 114 as of Monday morning, adding that “there are currently 850 names on the list of missing persons.”
Bissen said that 27 of the individuals confirmed dead have been identified.
The fire in Lahaina burned roughly 3.5 square miles and search crews have investigated an estimated 85% of the area, per Maui Now.
In response to the fires, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) set up a disaster recovery center in Kahului.
FEMA has provided federal disaster assistance in the form of more than 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots, and 10,000 blankets to survivors who have been impacted by the fires, according to a White House news release.
Despite the resources provided by FEMA, some survivors have reported frustration with the process of applying for aid.
Some who were evacuated from their homes have had difficulty applying for governmental assistance because their IDs were destroyed in the fires, leaving them unable to be processed by the agency, per the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Deanne Criswell, a FEMA Administrator, said on Saturday that one family of 35 was unable to adequately receive aid due to an issue with the lease on their home. She said only one family member’s name was on the lease, meaning they were the only person who could apply for aid, as reported by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
President Biden has received criticism from some quarters for his response to the fires. Former President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to voice his concerns.
In a two-minute video posted by Trump on August 14, he said that “our government was not prepared, and very importantly, the aftermath is going very poorly.”
“It is a disgraceful thing that Joe Biden refuses to help or comment on the tragedy in Maui, just as he refused to help or comment on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, for a very, very long time,” he added.
The White House refuted the criticisms, claiming in a news release that Biden has “remained in close contact with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, affirming that the Federal government will continue to provide whatever support is needed to ensure the state’s recovery, however long it may take.”
Green confirmed this notion and said Biden has remained in contact and has been helping the state as they work through the aftermath.
“If President Biden could just teleport himself over, he would’ve come here in five seconds,” said Green last week, per CNN.
“I’ve never seen such dedication in a president, who within six hours dedicated his time to determine that this was an emergency, and to commit full repair, full reconstruction for our people here in Hawaii.”
