Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda said in an interview with the program CNN This Morningfrom CNN International, that the state “underestimated the lethality and rapidity of the fire” and did not plan reinforcements in its emergency alert system to contain forest fires.
According to Tokuda, emergency alerts are received on cell phones, but that there was no cell phone coverage in the area at the time.
“It’s not like hurricane-force winds are unheard of in Hawaii, or dry bushes, or red flag conditions. We’ve seen this before with Hurricane Lane. We haven’t learned our lesson from Lane (in 2018) — that wildfires can break out as a result of strong hurricane winds below us to the south,” Tokuda said.
“We have to make sure we do better.”
In 2018, as Hurricane Lane approached Hawaii, wildfires burned a total of 2,330 acres across Maui. The following year, fires in Maui burned about 9.5 km². However, in a report last year, Hawaii’s emergency management agency described the risk of wildfires to human life as “low”.
While authorities await searches inside the buildings for more victims, Tokuda said the sea around Lahaina will also have to be dredged, “to ensure that any missing individuals are found.”
The congresswoman said she understands that residents expect action from lawmakers, saying “we need to be there to help them as they rebuild. It will take years, generations.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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