Gov. Josh Green said Hawaii suffered an estimated $700 million in damage from the succession of storms over the past four weeks, and that the state is now in recovery mode.
That includes damage to roads, including the rockfalls at Waimea Bay on Oahu, and to schools, homes and infrastructure, along with Kula Hospital on Maui.
Additionally, the state lost an estimated $300 million in economic activity when people could not travel during the storms.
“The storm is basically done so I wanted to thank everyone for looking after their neighbors. I wanted to thank the first responders for doing an incredible job keeping everyone alive,” said Green in an Instagram/Facebook post. “We should also thank FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and our National Guard. Everyone came together.”
Green said he has authorized $175 million to deal with storm damage and to keep the National Guard in place for cleanup needs on Oahu’s North Shore, Maui and Hawaii Island. He said repairs for school damage are already underway.
As announced last week, President Donald Trump also approved a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii in the aftermath of the storms.
Green said he was grateful to Trump and FEMA for this critical help, saying that it “opens the door for additional federal resources and establishes a shared responsibility between the state and federal government to support our communities throughout our recovery.”
“Wherever we don’t get insurance, they will tend to pay 75% to 90% to help us, like any other state,” he said. “I’ve developed a good relationship with their disaster relief folks. That should go well.”
Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service has announced federal tax relief for individuals and businesses in Hawaii affected by the severe storms and resulting flooding and mudslides.
Those in the federally declared storm disaster area — which includes Kauai, Honolulu, Maui and Hawaii counties — have until July 8 to file federal tax returns and make tax payments originally due on or after March 10.
Green has also extended the emergency proclamation for the March and April weather events, and the disaster emergency relief period, through Sunday, June 7.
Though the storms are over, the impacts are still being felt across the state, he wrote on Instagram.
“The sun is coming out across the state,” he said. “We’ve come through Merrie Monarch — that’s a great thing — and we’re going to announce at the end of the Legislature, we’ll make sure we have all the resources we need for recovery.”