Hawaii senator says federal, local officials need to coordinate
- Hawaii Sen. Angus McKelvey says he hasn't heard from FEMA
- FEMA officials say they are 'on the ground' responding to the fires
- The Maui Police Department has confirmed 96 deaths so far
maylen
(NewsNation) — Hawaii State Sen. Angus McKelvey is dissatisfied with the federal response to the deadly fires in Maui, pointing to a “disconnect” between federal and local officials’ recovery efforts.
“We’re on the ground,” he said. “We have information… They are absolutely ignoring us. I’ve not heard from FEMA.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Deanne Criswell said she’s been in continuous communication with President Joe Biden since the fires started and has more than 300 people “on the ground.”
McKelvey, however, said the federal government needs to stay in touch with local leaders.
“They have an office in Honolulu (County),” McKlevey said. “The disaster is in Maui. We need them to connect with people like us who are on the ground in the community.”
About 46,000 people have flown out of Maui’s primary airport since Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The Maui Police Department has confirmed 96 deaths as of about 9 p.m. Sunday.
Searches are still underway. Hawaii State Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran said he expects officials to confirm additional fatalities.
“One thing to describe about the area is it’s densely populated…You had commercial buildings, you had apartment buildings and you had single-family homes,” Keith-Agaran said.
