The President is on the ground there wher the dealth toll has climbed over 100 with maybe 800 missing….
He and the First Lady also flew over some the affected area’s…
“Our lives have changed forever, and things will not be the same,” Bissen said. “What will be the same is the way we care for each other as we grieve and go through this together.”
Monday was another difficult day of recovery, though one marked by a visit from President Biden and first lady Jill Biden. They arrived shortly before noon on Air Force One for an aerial tour and an on-the-ground visit to what had been the seaside community of Lahaina, population 12,000.
Biden had been in contact with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D), who has said that more than 1,800 people displaced by the fires were staying at local hotels and that more than 7,000 people had applied for support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We’re doing all that we can to bring some healing and recovery to our state,” Green said in a video posted online before the president’s visit.
The Bidens were greeted at Kahului Airport by Green, Hawaii’s two U.S. senators and other top officials. The first lady and the governor embraced on the tarmac, and the president and Green walked arm in arm to the waiting motorcade.
After touring charred Front Street in Lahaina, Biden called the devastation “overwhelming” and talked about the “black hole” that can follow such loss. He pivoted to the work ahead: “I also want all of you to know the country grieves with you, stands with you and will do everything possible to help you recover, rebuild, and respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place.”
Even as they continued trying to find and identify the dead, county officials were warning Monday that expected rains from post-tropical cyclone Fernanda could trigger flash floods and mudslides, especially in burned areas where there is no longer vegetation….