Honolulu, HI - Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) today sent a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to provide federal assistance to Hawaii. This letter is in support of Governor Linda Lingle's request that a major disaster be declared in Hawaii due to the heavy rains and flooding that have plagued the State for nearly two months.
Last month, Senator Akaka toured Kauai with Mayor Bryan Baptiste and State Civil Defense officials to assess the damage caused by the Ka Loko Dam failure. He was also briefed on the flood damage across the State and the crisis that many Hawaii farmers now face.
In his letter to the President, Senator Akaka said, "Hawaii endured heavy, unrelenting rainfall from the middle of February through the beginning of April, and as a result, a dam broke, lives were lost, and farms were destroyed.
"The Governor's request is supported by a preliminary disaster assessment that was conducted jointly between State Civil Defense and FEMA which estimates that the damage could exceed $50 million. This is the exact situation for which federal disaster assistance was designed."
