Lahaina residents, if you've been tracking the aftermath of wildfire debris or keeping an eye on emergency evacuation updates, you may want to mark your calendar for an upcoming community gathering. In a meeting set to discuss a variety of pertinent local issues, the County of Maui invites the public to participate at the Lahaina Intermediate School cafeteria on Wednesday, May 7, at 5:30 p.m. The announcement, made on the County of Maui website, details a lineup of topics including updates from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the transition plan for wildfire debris removal.
Transporting the debris -- a legacy of disaster being shifted from its temporary rest in Olowalu to a permanent home in Central Maui -- is slated to start once the disposal site is ready in June 2025. A five-month clock on that task is ticking, according to the County's announcement. Looking ahead, evacuation management will catch the spotlight with a presentation on the Genasys Protect app by Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and they're not stopping there. Hazard Mitigation Planning, a critical topic for any community in the face of ever-looming natural threats, will also be addressed by MEMA alongside the County of Maui Department of Fire and Public Safety.
The talks extend beyond mere presentations, however. Residents seeking more hands-on support will find it at resource tables manned by representatives from various departments and agencies. These range from the County Office of Recovery to FEMA and the Hawaiian Electric Co., among others. Even the Native Hawaiian Legal Corp and Hoʻōla iā Mauiakama Disaster Long Term Recovery Group will be there to lend a hand. When asked about the expected outreach during the event, the County of Maui stated that these representatives' presence at the meeting "will be available to offer support."
To ensure no resident falls through the cracks, the State's Disaster Case Management Program representatives will be on standby. For those unable to attend in person, a virtual option will carry the meeting's proceedings into living rooms via the County of Maui's Facebook page or Channel 53 -- courtesy of Akakū: Maui Community Media. For updates, the mailing list beckons; homeowners and those affected can subscribe to notifications at www.mauirecovers.org/sign-up.
