The US president, Joe Biden, assured that he will support the reconstruction of Hawaii for as long as it is necessary, respecting the will of the inhabitants, after spending more than five hours on the island of Maui, devastated by the worst fires the country has seen. in 100 years. .
Biden visited the town of Lahaina, on the island of Maui, which has been devastated by a wildfire that has killed at least 114 people as it ripped through the historic town.
“I know the feeling that many people have in this city, in this community: that feeling of emptiness in the chest, as if they were being sucked into a black hole,” he confessed, next to a historic banyan tree.
The most recent balance points to 115 dead, 900 missing and damage in the order of six billion dollars (about 5.50 billion euros).
“We will be with you for as long as it takes, I promise, making sure your voices are heard. We will rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build. Fire can’t get to the roots. That’s Maui. That’s it. United States,” he said. he concluded.
Biden is fighting criticism that his administration was too slow to respond to the disaster that devastated a city of more than 12,000, and locals are angry that the official response to the fires was slow.
Former President Donald Trump called it “shameful” that his successor had not visited Hawaii sooner, though the White House said Biden postponed his trip so as not to distract authorities and rescue teams working on the ground.
Residents also criticized Maui officials, who they say should have activated the alarm system when the fire broke out. As a result, “a warm welcome for Biden may not be warranted in some Maui circles,” the Honolulu Star-Advertiser warned ahead of the visit.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden toured the devastated remains of Lahaina with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green and his wife, nearly two weeks after raging, windswept flames sent residents jumping into the ocean to escape the calls.
The couple also flew in Marine One, the presidential helicopter, to see the overwhelming scale of the devastation that has left the former royal capital in ashes.
Many houses were completely destroyed by the wall of fire that swept through the city.
Burnt-out cars litter the tracks where they were abandoned by drivers who realized the exit was blocked by traffic.
The death toll is expected to rise as roughly one eighth of the disaster area has yet to be explored. Authorities warned that some bodies were so burned that identification could be difficult or even impossible.
The rate of recovery of the victims and the small number of people identified is another source of anguish for those who are still looking for their relatives.
“We’re going to do this for you,” Biden told a crowd as he prepared to leave for Nevada, where he is on vacation. “We’re going to do things the way you want them done. We’re not going to do it someone else’s way.”
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, defending the administration’s response, said Biden’s one-day visit underscored his commitment to ensuring Hawaii’s recovery.
Criswell acknowledged that the search and rescue process can be slow, but said the federal government has sent experts from the FBI, the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services to help with the thorough identification process.
Presidential visits to major disaster areas, while considered almost a political mandate, can carry risks.
When then-President George W. Bush traveled to Louisiana in 2005 to witness the historic devastation of Hurricane Katrina, critics seized on photographs of W. Bush looking out the window of Air Force One as it flew over New Orleans to say his visit lacked empathy. .
Source: TSF
