Jennifer Oberg stood in what used to be her bathroom, in a spot where a bathtub once sat, describing the moment floodwater tore through the foundation of her Haiku home. Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Lala sent water down through the house and down the stairs, flooding a downstairs studio and leaving the family with more than $100,000 in damage.
Oberg told Hawaii News Now that she heard water running down the stairs before she realized what was happening. “A wall of water came down the hill through the foundation,” she said, describing the flooding as horrifying and something that left her feeling sadness, frustration, and anger. The downstairs level of the Oberg home wasn't just a bathroom — it also housed a sewing studio that doubled as the base for a nonprofit Oberg has run since the pandemic.
A Nonprofit Displaced By The Storm
Oberg started the Sewing Hui in 2020, according to the station's report. Volunteers, including both residents and visitors, sewed medical-grade masks for health care providers early in the pandemic, made walker bags for kupuna, sewed costumes for local plays, and stitched Christmas stockings for keiki. All of that work ran out of the space that Tropical Storm Lala flooded, displacing the nonprofit along with the family.
A friend set up a GoFundMe page for the Obergs after the flooding, and the campaign helped fund the removal of water-damaged materials from the home, per the same account. But Oberg said the money raised wasn't enough to rebuild the house and find a new space for the nonprofit — it was only enough, she said, to bring the property back to what she called ground zero. The family has no flood insurance, and Oberg said the Obergs hope federal aid comes soon. She asked officials not to forget Maui.
Trump Holds The Decision On A Major Disaster Declaration
State officials are awaiting White House approval on a disaster declaration, with President Trump left to decide whether to sign off on the request, the report notes. Trump has already approved Governor Green's request for a federal emergency declaration, but that step provides only limited federal support for immediate life-safety and emergency protective measures. A full major disaster declaration, which could unlock broader and longer-term recovery assistance, requires a separate federal determination.
Kīele Amundson, communications director for the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said that determination is generally informed by damage assessments, which were submitted to federal officials on September 9. Recovery assistance, if a major disaster declaration is approved, would depend on which areas and programs get designated, according to the same account. Most of the destruction from Tropical Storm Lala occurred on Hawaii Island, while the storm victims featured in Haiku are located on Maui.
Two Storms, More Than $1 Billion In Damage Statewide
Green told Trump about two massive storms that battered the islands, with the total cost across both estimated at more than $1 billion, according to Civil Beat. FEMA officials have already been on the ground assessing the destruction from the back-to-back storms, and Green's request to Washington is focused on money to help remove debris, rebuild infrastructure, and provide direct assistance to residents rather than hazard-mitigation grants.
Green said he anticipates Hawaiʻi's request for disaster aid will be approved after speaking with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Civil Beat reported. Still, a FEMA analysis cited by the outlet found that Trump has denied a larger percentage of disaster-aid requests than his predecessors, adding uncertainty to how the state's request will ultimately be handled.
Maui County Moves On Its Own Emergency Funding
While the state and federal governments work through the declaration process, Maui County has taken its own steps to address the damage. The Maui County Council gave initial approval to spend $10 million from emergency funds on recovery efforts tied to Hurricane Lala, according to the Daily Dispatch. County officials said overall damage costs from the storm were rising to nearly $15 million.
Up to $1 million of that emergency funding would be set aside for Maui Economic Opportunity Inc. to help residents with rebuilding and recovery, the Daily Dispatch reported. Council members passed the measure, Bill 122, on first reading by a vote of 7-0, with one member absent and excused and another abstaining. For families like the Obergs, still standing in a gutted downstairs studio and hoping the Sewing Hui can one day sew again, the county funding and the still-pending federal decision represent two separate lifelines they're watching closely.
