HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-09-27 Mayor Thanks FEMA for its Help as County Receives Disaster Assistance for Hurricane Lane -- press release
Harry Kim
Talmadge J. Magno
Mayor
Civil Defense Administrator
Wil Okabe
Managing Director
Barbara Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
CIVIL DEFENSE AGENCY
920 Ululani Street Hilo, Hawai'i 96720-3958
(808) 935-0031 Fax (808) 935-6460
September 27, 2018
NEWS RELEASE
Hawai`i County Grateful to FEMA for Help with Hurricane, Eruption Recovery
Mayor Harry Kim expressed deep gratitude on Thursday morning to Mr. Bern Ruiz of
the Federal Emergency Management Agency for their tremendous help with the
eruption and hurricane emergencies on Hawai'i Island.
Mr. Ruiz, the Federal Coordinating Officer for FEMA Region IX, made a special visit to
notify the Mayor that a Presidential Disaster Declaration had just been granted to
Hawai’i County, paving the way for financial assistance to County government for the
repair of County government facilities damaged by Hurricane Lane.
Under the Declaration for Hurricane Lane, Hawai'i County will receive public assistance
to support emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities
on Hawai'i Island; as will Maui and Kaua`i. In addition, Hawai'i County will be eligible to
apply for assistance from the Hazard Mitigation Program for actions taken to prevent or
reduce long-term risk to life and property from natural disasters.
“I want Hawai'i’s people to know how FEMA personnel stayed with us 24/7 throughout
the entire eruption. I will never forget when FEMA personnel worked through the night to
ensure the Disaster Recovery Center would be ready for residents of Puna by the next
morning.” Mayor Kim said that he told the FEMA personnel that it could wait another
day to get ready. But they insisted that one day would make a big difference to the
victims of the eruption, and after working all night, the Disaster Recovery Center was
open in the morning.
“I need the entire FEMA organization to know how grateful we are to them for coming to
our aid,” Mayor Kim said.
Hawai’i County is an equal opportunity provider and employer