Federal Disaster Assistance approved for County of Kaua‘i

Published on June 18, 2024

LĪHU‘E — On Tuesday, June 17, the federal government approved a major disaster declaration for the County of Kaua‘i in response to the April 2024 flood.

This declaration triggers the release of federal assistance via the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation programs for eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and repairs.

“We are incredibly grateful to our federal partners for recognizing the significant damages sustained to our island’s infrastructure as a result of the severe flooding this past April,” said Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami. “Through this crucial support, we remain on course to address needed repairs, rebuild, and enhance our resiliency against future disasters. We thank all partners who continue to work tirelessly during this recovery period, and most of all to our residents and all impacted for their ongoing patience.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program ensures that the County of Kaua‘i can recover from the immediate impacts of the disaster by funding emergency work and repairs to public infrastructure. In addition, the agency’s funds from the Hazard Mitigation Grant aim to prevent future disasters or reduce their impact by investing in long-term resilience projects.

The Kaua‘i Emergency Management Agency will facilitate the coordination and application process of these federal assistance programs.

Total funding is not yet known and is determined based on FEMA-eligible projects.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact the FEMA news desk at 202-646-3272 or fema-news-desk@fema.dhs.gov.

###