James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:02 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi. Apologies for the delay. We had — the Administrator was actually briefing the President in the Oval Office, so we wanted to make sure that she was ready to go and the President got the briefing that he needed before we came out. So, apologies for a late start in the briefing.
So, in a minute, you will hear directly from the FEMA Administrator on how the Biden-Harris administration has mobilized a robust whole-of-government response effort to support immediate and long-term rescue and recovery efforts in Maui, Hawaii.
First, as the President said yesterday, we are praying for those who lost so much — who lost loved ones, their community, their businesses, their households. We are also incredibly thankful to the first responders and also the — the very brave firefighters who are on the frontlines, who are dealing with this response and recovery effort.
Earlier today, we announced that the President and First Lady will be traveling to Hawaii on Monday to meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials.
Since the onset of the horrific fires in Maui, dozens of federal departments and agencies have been working with state and local partners on the ground to assess ongoing needs and providing resources and personnel to support response on the ground.
Last Thursday, within hours of receiving the request — and you've also heard this from the governor of Hawaii himself — the President signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaii within hours and spoke publicly, as you all know, about the tragic fires.
And, with that, as I just mentioned, the Pres- — the President has kept — has been kept updated on a daily basis, kept close contact with the governor and senators in Hawaii. And obviously, the Administrator has been giving him updates regularly.
And, with that, the floor is yours.
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Thanks, Karine. Good afternoon, everybody.
As you just heard, I did just finish briefing the President in the Oval Office to give him an update on the ongoing recovery efforts that are happening in Hawaii. And I will continue to provide him updates as we continue this response in support of the state of Hawaii.
While I was in there, he had an opportunity to call Governor Green and let him know that he has approved the governor's request for 100 percent reimbursement for the emergency work that's being done for a period of 30 days within the first 120 days at the governor's choosing.
I will also be traveling with the President on Monday and will work with him to better understand some of the impacts that are happening. And I know that the people on the ground in Hawaii — and the governor mentioned this as well on the phone — will appreciate a visit from the President.
Before I give an operational update, I do just want to take a minute to portray what I saw while I was on the ground there earlier this week: the periling stories of survival, the heroic accounts of response, and the sense of community that I saw across the island.
While I was in one of the shelters, I met with one young boy who was getting ready to go back to school but had lost everything. And we worked with him to find clothes and a backpack, school supplies to be able to be ready to go to school in his new facility.
It's stories like these that let you know that this is more than just the visual impact of what we're seeing on television — more than the visual impact of the burned landscape. It's the level of devastation from this fire and the feeling of loss from such a culturally rich community that was really palpable everywhere that I went.
And while the people of Hawaii are in mourning and as we mourn as a nation with them, I am filled with hope as they bravely begin to take the steps that are needed to heal and recover.
I also want to commend the heroic first responders — many of whom lost their residence — residences while they were battling the blaze and helping to support those that were fleeing to safety.
Now, it's important to remember this is still a very active and dynamic situation, and our FEMA Urban Search and Rescue teams are working closely with the state to help account for those who are still missing.
Given the conditions and the need for additional resources, we will have at least 40 canine search teams on the island, in addition to hundreds of search and rescue personnel with more on the way. We're working carefully to search the affected areas thoroughly and compassionately, while respecting all of the cultural sensitivities.
This is a really hard disaster, and this is a really difficult search operation.
Because of the conditions and the fire debris, the dogs have to navigate the heat. They have to deal with issues with their paws, walking through glass and debris. And in these conditions, the dogs require frequent rest, which is why we are sending in additional dogs to augment the operation.
In addition to them, 30 specialists from the HHS mortuary teams are already in Maui and will soon be joined by the mortuary specialists from the Department of Defense. These experts are going to be able to help identify loved ones.
Now, I want to be honest with everyone. This is also going to be a very long and hard recovery. But our federal, state, and local partners are working around the clock to help all of those who have been impacted by this disaster.
From the beginning of this event, my regional administrator has been on the ground and has been leaning forward to support those in need.
As he always does, President Biden directed me to move quickly and push as many resources into the area so we can help people as soon as possible that were impacted.
Since the news first broke about the fire, I have been in constant communication with President Biden to provide him real-time updates of the situation both while I was on the ground and to inform him and his team of the support that we are providing to the community.
And I want everybody to know this: The President, FEMA, and the entire federal family will be there to support the people of Hawaii as long as we are needed.
Now, just a couple of operational updates for everyone.
Today, FEMA's Associate Administrator for Response and Recovery Anne Bink and Region 9 Regional Administrator Bob Fenton are both on the ground.
To date, we have mobilized millions of liters of water and food. We have deployed more than 700 personnel to the disaster, with more than 600 already on the island. We have given out $2.3 million in assistance to families, and we have approved over 1,300 registrations for assistance.
We launched — launched our Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, and this will complement the state's Fire Relief Housing program for residents. And we also authorized Critical Needs Assistance to make sure that we're putting money in the hands of survivors.
We also launched a joint task force to assist the state in ensuring that housing assistance that survivors are eligible for — whether it's through FEMA's programs or the state programs — that it will be seamless to the survivor, and they don't have to figure out who they're supposed to call for help.
But I also need all of your help. I need you to help us get the word out and encourage more people to apply for assistance.
Please help us spread the word to residents of Maui and encourage them to register for assistance with FEMA with either our staff on the ground, through our website at DisasterAssistance.gov, or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
We also opened our first —
Q I'm sorry. Can you please repeat the number?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Yep. 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-621-FEMA.
We also opened our first disaster recovery center. What these facilities are, they are brick-and-mortar locations that have federal, state, nonprofit partners that will all be co-located where people can register for assistance and help get su- — and get additional support.
And this is an important first step in their recovery process.
We're also cognizant of the fact that the fires have completely upended people's lives — and that this is especially true for the young children of Hawaii who are unable to return to school in their affected areas, similar to the young boy that I talked to you about.
As both a grandmother and a mother myself, my heart breaks thinking about the tragedy that they have gone through and their road ahead.
Children's Disaster Services has already deployed two teams in partnership with the American Red Cross to provide care and a safe and a reassuring presence in our shelters.
And I am certain that this will bring ease and comfort to the parents that are still coping with the gravity of the situation with such devasting loss and want to provide some sense of stability to their families.
Additionally, the Red Cross, in coordination with Maui County, continues to support staff in five shelters where food, water, hygiene kits, and other essential resources are being provided to individuals.
We are also coordinating these services so that anybody who leaves a shelter for a hotel or other place to stay will be eligible to receive the same level of services being offered at these shelters.
Our partners at the HUD are also supporting the people of Hawaii by providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration insured mortgages and Home Equity Conversion Mortgages. This is also another very important step in their recovery process.
And lastly, debris removal is going to be a critical aspect of this recovery.
We have mission assigned both the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to start the process of debris collection and planning for removal.
We are also mindful — and I stress this to my team every day and every time I talk to them — that we need to continue to ensure that we have a strong respect and awareness of the Native Hawaiian cultures and history during our response and recovery processes.
And I want the people of Hawaii to hear it from me: FEMA and the federal family are here to be with you, and we will be with you every step of the way.
So, to close, to the people of Hawaii, I promise you this: We will do everything we can to continue to help you rebuild on the island — on the island that you call home.
Together with our state, federal, and volunteer partners, we will continue to provide support to Hawaii for as long as is necessary.
But the people of Hawaii — they deserve a recovery that not only addresses their immediate needs but that positions them as an example of resilience, strength, and resolve.
Thank you. And, with that, I'll take any questions.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nancy.
Q Thanks, Administrator Criswell. I heard you — everything you said about all the resources that are being brought to bear, but we keep interviewing survivor after survivor who says that either they didn't see any government personnel or assistance for days, or that they still haven't. How do you explain the disconnect between what they're saying and what you're saying about all the resources that are there in Maui?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: I think you need to understand that this community is going through an amazingly traumatic event. I can tell you that we have personnel that are on the ground year-round and embedded in with the state as soon as the fire started so we could continue to understand what resources were needed and help move them in.
The Coast Guard conducted 17 rescues that day and supported 40 additional rescues. And so, they were there Tuesday helping these people escape the flames that they were experiencing.
We have staff in the shelters. I met with many of the individuals; they're right there. Our staff are walking and talking to the people and helping them register for assistance.
We also have our voluntary agencies, like the United Way and the American Red Cross, that are there. And I — you know, we know that we need to get to everybody.
There's also people that are staying with family and friends, staying with residents in other parts of the island. And that's why our teams will continue to go out into the communities to make sure everybody that needs assistance can get assistance.
I think the disaster recovery center is going to be one way that they have a place and a focal point that they can come get their questions answered, instead of just going to a shelter, which is what's been available right now.
Q I know that FEMA takes a backseat to states in situations like this, but Hawaii is a small state. Does — does Hawaii have the staffing and the expertise to lead a recovery effort of this magnitude?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: You know, we've been embedded with them. We actually have personnel that integrate in year-round with them to help maintain their capacity. But we also recognize that this is a large event for them, and they are a small state. They have asked for assistance from some of our other states.
And I can say like California — Cal OES — is sending one of their incident management teams to embed with Maui Emergency Management to help give them the capacity, help give them some of the relief they need, and help develop that structure to maintain this longer-term response.
Q Could the state turn leadership of the recovery effort over to FEMA if they wanted to?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: I — I don't think we would ever want that. Right? This is their community. We want to be able to support them, and we will be there to support them throughout this recovery process.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Mike.
Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Administrator Criswell. Yesterday, we heard from the President, who said he was hoping to visit soon. Obviously, the announcement was made today. But he didn't want it to be disruptive.
Can you talk specifically about what the President will see, who he'll meet with, and what efforts are being undertaken to make sure that his visit is not disrupting the ongoing efforts to support the local communities?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Yeah, I mean, as I have been briefing the President, I have been explaining to him the dynamics of the situation on the ground and the ability to make sure that we give the space to our search and rescue teams to continue to be able to account for everybody that is missing.
I know when the President travels, he's going to be able to bring hope. And he's going to speak with the governor and the state's first lady and talk to survivors and hear their stories. And it's that level of hope that I think is going to really be a positive impact for this community.
Q And then, there's an interesting debate — a very difficult debate — even happening among state and local leaders about the role of tourism that — whether it should be still allowed to be ongoing and the appropriateness of tourism in the community there as it relates to the economy.
Does the administration — does FEMA take a view about whether continued tourism is maybe potentially disruptive to this effort, especially as it relates to providing enough housing for those who have been displaced?
ADMINISTRATOR CRISWELL: Yeah, I would defer you to the state for any actions that they're going to take as it relates to tourism. It does not impact or affect our ability to respond and support the state, and it's not a factor that we take into consideration. We'll continue to send resources in to support whatever the state needs.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Restuccia.
