President Biden to Visit Maui As Recovery Efforts Continue

Maui, Hawaii – Today, President Biden and the First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will visit Maui, Hawaii to meet with emergency workers and survivors of the Lāhainā wildfire, which resulted in the deaths of more than 110 people, with over a 1,000 still missing. 

During his visit, President Biden will discuss the recovery effort with federal, state, and local officials. Gov. Josh Green has been vocal about the role that climate change played in this disaster – claiming it was, “the ultimate reason that so many people perished.” 

Experts are in agreement, pointing to climate change as a significant factor in the severity of the fire. They say that Hawaii’s drying landscape is a trend affecting rainforests across the world. With warmer temperatures and reduced rainfall comes higher wildfire risk – in this case fueled by fire prone invasive grasses.

Since Tuesday, August 15, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided $3.8 million in assistance to 1,640 households across the island. As families mourn lost loved ones, President Biden has firmly maintained that Hawaii will get everything that it needs and worked to address the crisis by sending resources, responders, and other assistance.