Hawaii governor signs bill putting $125M to flood recovery
HONOLULU — Gov. David Ige has signed a bill setting aside $125 million for flood recovery efforts on Kauai and Oahu.
The bill designates $100 million for Kauai and $25 million for Oahu, the Star-Advertiser reported Thursday.
“The floods have been devastating to families, individuals and businesses on Kauai and Oahu,” Ige said. “We have moved quickly to start relief and recovery efforts. This funding will help take us to the next level.”
A presidential disaster declaration was approved on Tuesday, making Kauai and Oahu eligible for federal emergency aid. The state’s request for federal assistance for individuals was denied, but that decision is being appealed.
Ige, a Democrat, previously made $500,000 available for emergency response efforts plus an additional $10 million to speed up work to reopen roadways.
The $125 million will be used for public facilities repairs — including roads, bridges, county parks and infrastructure.
Heavy rains from April 13 to April 16 caused widespread flooding and triggered mudslides that damaged homes, businesses and highways.
About 532 homes were damaged or destroyed.
An inundation of 50 inches (127 centimetres) of rain in a 24-hour period in Waipa is being reviewed by the National Climatic Extremes Committee as a possible U.S. record.
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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com