Gov. Green seeks expedited federal disaster declaration after Hurricane Lowell

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green is asking the federal government to speed up disaster assistance for Kauai and Maui counties following Hurricane Lowell.

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Green submitted an expedited request Wednesday to President Donald Trump for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

The request asks the federal government to move forward without waiting for the usual joint preliminary damage assessment because of widespread power outages, transportation disruptions and damage to essential services.

“We cannot wait for every damaged road, utility pole, harbor and public facility to be assigned a dollar value before asking the federal government to act,” Green said.

On Kauai, the state said roughly 33,000 of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative’s 36,000 member accounts lost power during the storm.

Commercial ports and Lihue Airport were also closed at the height of the storm, while flooding, fallen trees and downed utility infrastructure blocked roads across the island.

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On Lanai, Kaumalapau Harbor remains inoperable. The harbor is the island’s only commercial cargo facility and serves about 3,000 residents who rely on it for food, fuel, medical supplies and other goods.

If approved, the declaration could provide federal funding for debris removal, emergency protective measures, repairs to roads, bridges, utilities, harbors and other public infrastructure.

It could also provide individual assistance to affected residents, disaster loans for businesses and direct federal support for emergency power, debris clearance and temporary cargo service to Lanai.

Green said state and county damage assessments are still underway.

“State, county, utility and emergency personnel are working around the clock, but the scale and urgency of these impacts exceed what Hawaii can address alone,” Green said.

The state is also awaiting FEMA review of a separate Major Disaster Declaration request for Tropical Cyclone Lala.

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