On August 8, Hawaii was first ravaged by Hurricane Dora, going down in history as the longest-lasting Category 4 in the Pacific Ocean. First starting as a group of disorganized thunderstorms. In late July, Hurricane Dora formed into a tropical wave that traveled 9,800 miles over the Atlantic.
Hurricane Dora was 490 miles away when the high winds caused fires to break out on both Maui and Hawaii islands. It will then cross the International Date Line, entering the Eastern Pacific. The El Nino heat phase also ramped up the tropical wave to a strong hurricane. Traveling the Pacific for over 5,200 miles. Dora is the second known cyclone to make such a long trip. Hurricane John holds the record as the longest lasting tropical storm. Now called Typhoon Dora since the storm has now crossed the Western Pacific.
Typhoon Dora
The typhoon has led to many wildfires in the historic town of Lahaina, aptly translating to “cruel sun” which has been left decimated. With the fires destroying all through their paths, The Lahaina government reported over 3,000 structures damaged and destroyed. A spokesperson for Maui County, Mahina Martin said that repairs can take weeks to months with an estimated $6 billion in destruction.
The U.S. Coast Guard has reported rescuing as least 14 citizens that jumped into the ocean to avoid the flames. However, as of August 21, the death toll has been reported to be as high as 114 civilians. The count expecting to rise with 1,000 citizens still unaccounted for.
Hawaii Citizens Speak Up
Maui citizens are left upset and feeling neglected by their local and federal governments in dealing with the fires. The Hawaiian government has urged that the island isn’t closed to tourists. Further, with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the island’s economy, officials don’t want to discourage visitors.
Leading civilians to feel pushed aside by the government when it comes to relief housing. Such as Mike Cicchino, an island citizen, stated, “I hate to say it, but I think they should put a little hold on people coming to visit because we don’t have any places for locals to stay.”
Nevertheless, Hawaiian Gov. Josh Green states that the locals will be given at least 500 hotel rooms to stay in paid for by the government. The Governor also stated, “Airbnb is going to offer us hundreds of typically short-term rentals in a longer-term capacity, so we can put people into a place for months.” As well as Airbnb works with locals to have rooms available for them.
Due to all the falling power lines, Hawaiian Electric is also facing a lawsuit. Moreover, how the company failed to turn off power sooner. Resulting in people speculating about the fallen power lines along with the free-flowing power resulted in the spread of fires even more.
What is Being Done
With so many still missing, the Hawaiian government has been endeavoring to help find those missing and give the family and friends closure. Cadaver dogs have been stationed with their handlers. Tasked with searching sadly for the bodies of the deceased. “About 85 percent of the burn area had been searched as of Friday evening,” according to The New York Times.
The Cadaver dogs are one of the most important parts of the search for missing Maui residents. Unfortunately, cadaver dogs are trained to find human remains. While it is unfortunate to find remains, it can bring closure to friends and family.
Written by AriAnna Rathers
Sources
New York Times: As Search for Maui Victims Goes On, Names of Dead Are Slow to Emerge
CNN: Returning Lahaina residents struggle with housing issues after deadliest US wildfire in over a century
CNN: Cadaver dogs are in Maui to help find the dead. Here’s how it works and why it’s difficult
