(NewsNation) — An estimated 850 people are still unaccounted for in Maui as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) runs out of money.
FEMA is asking Congress to replenish its Disaster Emergency Relief Fund in order to continue its search and rescue efforts. The organization is currently running in a deficit.
As of Tuesday, just 13 victims of the wildfires have been identified and their families notified. Another 22 have been identified but their families have yet to be told or cannot be located.
President Biden visited the scorched island Monday to reassure locals that the federal government is committed to continuing relief and recovery efforts. His visit served as a reminder that there is a lot of work left in this crisis.
So far, 85% of the burn area has been searched, but FEMA administrator Deanne Criswell says the remaining 15% will be tricky. The remaining areas have many high-rise buildings with multiple units, so crews will have to handle a lot of rooms and different spaces to ensure everything is searched.
Officials hope to whittle down the list of 850 names, but don’t presume that they have all died. Some may just be unable to communicate with their families.
The other challenge FEMA is facing is the possibility of another natural disaster occurring. If help was needed elsewhere, the agency would have to split its resources in order to respond.
“From atmospheric rivers in January, to tornadoes and wildfires in December, we can no longer speak of a disaster season. We now face intensified natural disasters throughout the year, often in places that are not used to experiencing them,” Criswell told Congress last month.
She attributed this to climate change, saying FEMA needs to be prepared for major disasters year-round.
About 1,000 personnel, including 450 search and rescue teams are on the ground in Maui currently and the government has distributed $8.5 million in aid to 2,800 households. But residents say much more is left to be done.
The White House has asked Congress for $12 billion but is facing a potential fight as they work through that.
The number of people currently missing is also under contention. President Biden said Monday that 500 to 800 people were potentially missing. This weekend, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said the number of people missing was closer to 1,000.
