(NewsNation) — Hawaii continues to grapple with the aftermath of the worst wildfire in modern U.S. history.

It’s been nearly one week since wildfires destroyed the historic town of Lahaina and killed more than 100 people, and that number is expected to rise as search and recovery efforts continue. More than 2,700 structures in the town have been destroyed, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. Losses amount to about $5.6 billion.

“It truly feels like a bomb went off,” said NewsNation producer Tanya Noury, who grew up in Lahaina.

She added, “The town that I grew up in has been reduced to ashes. There are burnt cars on the side of the road and there is still this smell of smoke lingering. It’s been completely surreal and a heavy morning here for me. Overwhelming to say the least.”

At least 1,000 people are still missing, and 11,000 are displaced by the wildfire. Noury said that Lahaina is a tight-knit community and everyone she’s talked to knows of at least one person who’s still missing.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is overseeing the federal response. The Biden administration has deployed 500 federal personnel to the region, along with FEMA’s approval of thousands of meals, water, and blankets to be delivered and the deployment of more than 190 search and rescue teams.

Lahaina resident Jeff Melichar, who lost two properties to the wildfire, said residents aren’t allowed to enter into the central devastated areas yet. Melichar has lived on the island for nearly 30 years. He said he’s used to experiencing heavy winds, but these winds in particular weren’t like anything he’d ever experienced before.

“That’s (strong winds) unfortunately what fueled this fire. It went from, from what I imagine, a small fire to a raging inferno in just a matter of minutes,” he said

Melichar said he barely escaped and that he’s heard rumors that some roads were blocked on the north side of the island.