Hawaii Officials Rush to Clean Up Toxic Fire Dust on Maui before It Spreads | DW News

Aug 19, 2023 | Hawaii's devastating wildfires have left at least 114 people dead. Thousands of buildings are burnt to the ground. And the head of Maui's emergency management agency has stepped down, citing health reasons.

Herman Andaya has faced criticism for not doing more to warn residents. A day earlier, he'd defended his decision not to activate the island's tsunami sirens, saying they might have sent people running inland, towards the approaching fires. Power failures also kept many residents from receiving mobile phone alerts.

Hawaii Fires: Tourists Warned against Travelling to Maui in Wake of Disaster

THE GUARDIAN: Officials say hotel rooms needed to house thousands of displaced residents

Officials in Hawaii have urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui, as many hotels prepared to house evacuees and first responders on the island after wildfires killed more than 90 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.

About 46,000 residents and visitors have flown out of Kahului Airport in West Maui since the scale of the devastation in the historic town of Lahaina became clear on Wednesday, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

“In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the agency said in a statement late Saturday. Tourists are encouraged to visit Hawaii’s other islands. » | Associated Press | Monday, August 14, 2023


Incendies à Hawaï : le bilan continue d’augmenter, passant à 96 morts : Seule une petite partie de la zone incendiée (3 %) a été fouillée, et seulement deux victimes ont pu être identifiées. »

Deutsches Video von FAZ übers Beten für die Opfer und für die Vermissten hier.

Related.

Hawaii Wildfires: At Least 80 Killed in Maui – BBC News

Aug 12, 2023 | Eighty people are now confirmed to have been killed by wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials say. There are fears the numbers will rise further, as hundreds are still uncontactable. Firefighters have been trying to contain fires in several areas, including the historic town of Lahaina which has been utterly devastated.

Hawaii Wildfires: Live updates.

Related.

Democracy Now! Native Hawaiian Activist Kaniela Ing on Fires, Colonialism & Banyan Tree

Aug 11, 2023 | We speak with Kaniela Ing, national director of the Green New Deal Network and seventh-generation Kanaka Maoli, Native Hawaiian, about the impact of this week’s devastating wildfires and their relationship to climate change. The catastrophic fires have destroyed nearly all buildings in the historic section of Lahaina, which once served as the capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. What is now being described as the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history was created by conditions such as dry vegetation, hurricane-level winds and developers redirecting water and building over wetlands, which are directly related to the climate crisis. “Anyone in power who denies climate change, to me, are the arsonists here,” says Ing. “We’re living the climate emergency.”

Related here, here, here and here.

Hawaii Fires: Fresh Blaze Prompts Renewed Evacuations as Maui Death Toll Rises

THE GUARDIAN: At least 80 people killed in deadliest disaster in the state’s history, as questions asked about the local warning system

Cars destroyed by wildfires line Lahaina’s seafront main street on Friday. The death toll has risen to 67 and is expected to rise. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The death toll from the Maui wildfires in Hawaii has risen to 80 as search teams comb through the smouldering ruins of Lahaina and a new fire triggered the evacuation of another community on Friday night.

The Maui police department said the new fire was burning in Kaanapali in West Maui, to the north-east of the area that burned earlier this week. No details of the evacuation were immediately provided in the police post on social media.

The new fire and rising death toll came as Hawaiian officials sought to determine how the initial inferno spread so rapidly through Lahaina, a historic resort town, with little warning. » | Guardian staff and agencies | Saturday, August 12, 2023

Hawaii Fires Death Toll on Maui Island Rises - BBC News

Aug 11, 2023 | The number of people killed in the Hawaii wildfires has risen to 53, and police said as many as 1,000 may be missing on the island of Maui. Governor Josh Green says the fires are the "largest natural disaster in Hawaii state history" and 80% of historic seaside town Lahaina is "gone". In Lahaina, tourists were forced to jump into the sea and tread water for hours. Firefighters are still battling to contain Maui's wildfires, which began on Tuesday and were fuelled by Hurricane Dora's passing winds.

At Least 36 People Killed as Fire Devastates Lahaina Town in Hawaii

THE GUARDIAN: Wildfires fanned by Hurricane Dora destroy businesses and leave dozens more people injured, officials say

At least 36 people have died in the Lahaina fire in Hawaii, local authorities have said, adding that the fire remained active.

Wildfires, fanned by strong winds from Hurricane Dora, have destroyed businesses in the historic town of Lahaina and left dozens more people injured. There have been 13 evacuations for three fires. (With videos) » | Oliver Holmes and agencies | Thursday, August 10, 2023

Related video.

NYT live updates here.

Les incendies à Hawaï ont fait au moins 36 morts, la ville de Lahaina en grande partie détruite : Les feux ont été alimentés par de forts vents, exacerbés par l’ouragan Dora. Certaines personnes ont été obligées de se jeter dans l’océan Pacifique pour échapper à la fumée et aux incendies. »

Mindestens 36 Tote bei Bränden auf Maui: Starke Wald- und Buschbrände haben Teile der Insel Maui zerstört. Behördenangaben zufolge sind 36 Menschen gestorben. Bisher seien die Brände noch nicht unter Kontrolle. »

‘Like a bomb went off’: Maui wildfires decimate historic town of Lahaina: Flames fanned by Hurricane Dora leap above buildings, leaving residents grappling with loss of life and homes »

At Least Six People Confirmed Dead in Hawaii Wildfires - BBC News

Aug 9, 2023 | Hawaii is battling wildfires spurred by winds from Hurricane Dora - prompting evacuations on Maui and the Big Island. Mayor Richard Bissen has confirmed six fatalities in Maui county and warned numbers could rise. The US Coast Guard says it rescued 12 people, after reports of residents escaping a blaze by jumping into the sea near the town of Lahaina, on Maui. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) has authorised the use of federal funds in Hawaii to help people affected by fires.

Hawaii Is Easing Restrictions and Preparing to Welcome Back Tourists.

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The state is eager for its vacation industry to rebound after a devastating 2020 season.


Gov. David Y. Ige announced his state would welcome international tourists again and lift capacity limits later this month on bars, restaurants and gyms in counties that require patrons to present proof of vaccination or a recent negative Covid test to enter. | Caleb Jones/Associated Press
Signaling that Hawaii is eager to jump-start its battered tourism and hospitality industries, Gov. David Y. Ige said that his state would ease Covid restrictions this month and welcome international travelers again, under new federal guidelines that go into effect on Nov. 8.

The governor’s decision was a turnaround for a state that only two months ago was advising travelers not to visit, as it dealt with the worst surge of coronavirus cases it had seen, a wave of illness driven by the highly contagious Delta variant that overwhelmed hospitals and halted Hawaii’s economic recovery. During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Hawaii endured months of lockdown, imposing strict, 14-day quarantine protocols and suffering the economic consequences to its tourism economy.

Now, with low rates of hospitalizations and new cases, the islands are again ready for business, officials say. On Sept. 2, the state’s seven-day daily average of new cases was 910. As of Tuesday, it had dropped to 116, according to a New York Times database. » | Eduardo Medina | Thursday, November 4, 2021

The U.S. economy added 531,000 jobs in October. »

Overthrow: 100 Years of US Meddling & Régime Change, from Iran to Nicaragua to Hawaii to Cuba (March 2018)

As special counsel Robert Mueller continues his probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, we take a look back at Washington’s record of meddling in elections across the globe. By one count, the United States has interfered in more than 80 foreign elections between 1946 and 2000. And that doesn’t count U.S.-backed coups and invasions. We speak to former New York Times reporter Stephen Kinzer, author of “Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq.”

Lili'uokalani – Hawaii's Last Queen | Documentary Excerpt

WIKIPEDIA: Queen Lili'uokalani »

THE PALACE: Iolani Palace »

Tora, Tora, Tora: The True Story of Pearl Harbor: Documentary

It was the most daring naval and army manoeuvres of all time. In less than two hours without warning a swarm of Japanese fighter planes, each bearing a red sun soared over pearl harbour, Hawaii. At 7.53am a Japanese commander radioed to his pilots, "Tora, Tora, Tora!" In a matter of minutes, bombs and torpedoes fell from the sky paralysing U.S pacific naval forces. The day of infamy began with an intricate well-planned attack and a thunderous roar. The shock and anger over the surprise raid rallied a divided nation together more than any other event known to modern man.

Tsunami Advisory For Hawaii, Parts of California After Chile Quake

Read the article here Henry Austin and Alastair Jamieson | Thursday, September 17, 2015
Related »

16 Tage Hawaii für die Obamas

TAGES ANZEIGER: Ein turbulentes Jahr geht zu Ende: Die «First Family» der USA reiste in die Weihnachtsferien nach Honolulu.

Nach einem hektischen Jahr mit internationalen Krisen und einer Schlappe bei den Kongresswahlen ist US-Präsident Barack Obama in die Weihnachtsferien gereist. Zusammen mit seiner Frau Michelle und den beiden Töchtern flog er nach Hawaii ab. » | Samstag, 20. Dezember 2014

Barack Obama Takes to Sunny Hawaii as Rest of America Struggles through Ice and Floods

THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The decision to make an early break for his holidays looks to have paid dividends for Barack Obama as the US kicks of its holiday season with a host of weather woes

Barack Obama’s decision to waste no time in racing off for his annual Christmas getaway in Hawaii last week looked to be a prescient move yesterday as the rest of America struggled to their holiday destinations through a mixture of floods, tornadoes and ice-storms.

While Mr Obama clocked up the 150th round of golf of his presidency on the first day of his Hawaiian holiday, the US was battered by a strange mixture of storms that left people freezing in the north, basking in Spring-like temperatures in the east and mopping up floods down south.

Mr Obama avoided all the inconvenience, however, boarding Air Force One immediately after giving his final press conference of the year on Friday afternoon at which he confessed that he needed “a couple days of sleep and sun” to recharge after a year that was widely dubbed his "annus horribilis".

For the fifth year running, the president, accompanied by his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha, is staying at a luxury rental property in the Kailua, a tranquil residential area on the windward coast of Oahu, the third largest of the Hawaiian islands. » | Peter Foster, Washington | Sunday, December 22, 2013

Gay-marriage Bill Passes in Hawaii

THE GUARDIAN: Governor Neil Abercrombie says he is looking forward to signing 'significant piece of legislation'

The Hawaiian senate passed a bill on Tuesday legalising gay marriage, putting the state a signature away from becoming a same-sex wedding destination.

Governor Neil Abercrombie, who called lawmakers to a special session for the bill and has vocally supported gay marriage, said in a statement he will sign the measure. It will allow thousands of gay couples living in Hawaii and even more tourists to marry in the state starting from 2 December.

"I look forward to signing this significant piece of legislation, which provides marriage equity and fully recognises and protects religious freedoms," Abercrombie said.

Barack Obama praised the bill's passage, saying the affirmation of freedom and equality makes the country stronger.

"I've always been proud to have been born in Hawaii, and today's vote makes me even prouder," Obama said. » | Associated Press in Hawaii | Wednesday, November 13, 2013

North Korea: US Sends Missile Defence System to Guam
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Pentagon is sending an advanced ballistic missile defense system to Guam, as Chuck Hagel, the defence secretary, warned of a "real and clear" danger from North Korea.

The Pentagon announcement came hours after China intervened in the deepening crisis by summoning the ambassadors of North and South Korea, as well as the United States, to warn tensions must be defused on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea has singled out US military bases in Guam, an American. territory in the Pacific, and Hawaii among its potential targets in threats in recent weeks that have put the Korean peninsula on edge.

“Some of the actions they’ve taken over the last few weeks, present a real and clear danger,” Mr Hagel told an audience at the National Defense University in Washington.

He said those actions had threatened the interests of South Korea and Japan, but he also cited their direct threats against Guam, Hawaii and West Coast of the United States. » | Malcolm Moore, Beijing, and Reuters in Washington | Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Tsunami Hits Hawaii After Canada Earthquake
REUTERS CANADA: HONOLULU (Reuters) - Hawaii was hit by a tsunami on Saturday night prompting the authorities to order at least 100,000 people on the island state to move to higher ground.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the first tsunami wave was three feet high and less forceful than expected. Some forecasts had predicted a wave of up to six feet high.

"The tsunami arrived about when we expected it should," Senior Geophysicist Gerard Fryer told reporters at a news conference, saying: "I was expecting it to be a little bigger."

Other waves were expected.

The tsunami hit with little warning and an alert, issued at short notice due to initial confusion among scientists about the quake's undersea epicenter, caused massive traffic congestion as motorists made a mass exodus from low-lying areas. » | Reporting by Jorene Barut and Suzanne Roig in Honolulu; Writing by Steve Gorman and Tim Gaynor; Editing by Andrew Osborn | Sunday, October 28, 2012

REUTERS CANADA: 7.7 magnitude quake hits Canada's British Columbia: (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 hit Canada's Pacific coastal province of British Columbia late Saturday, setting off a small tsunami, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, officials said. » | Jeffrey Hodgson | Sunday, October 28, 2012

Gay Marine Kiss: Photo Called Both a Beginning and 'Closure'

LOS ANGELES TIMES: In just under a week, a photo of a Marine sergeant kissing his boyfriend after returning from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan has been "liked" on Facebook more than 42,000 times and garnered more than 10,000 comments -- most of them supportive.

Sgt. Brandon Morgan, a 25-year-old from Oakdale, Calif., returned to Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Feb. 22 from his third deployment in four years and was met by his boyfriend, Dalan Wells.

A friend snapped the photo, which depicts Morgan with his legs wrapped around Wells, an American flag in the background.

It was later posted on the "Gay Marines" Facebook page; from there, the photo went viral.

"It's a homecoming picture -- gay, straight, lesbian, no matter who you are, love is love," Morgan told Hawaii TV station KHON. "We haven't fought for more rights or better rights than others. We fought for equal rights, and now we have them." » | Ricardo Lopez | Friday, March 02, 2012

Related »

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Gay Marine’s Kiss Sparks Praise, Anger
THE WASHINGTON TIMES: If any event marks the day the military’s gay ban was really over, it came last week, when Marine Corps Sgt. Brandon Morgan, in uniform, jumped onto his boyfriend and the two engaged in a passionate kiss at an on-base military-family homecoming.

A friend photographed the embrace, which later was posted on the “Gay Marine” Facebook page and triggered an outpouring of support — and some dissent.

For the armed service’s most tradition-bound service, the one that most opposed lifting the ban last year, the transition seemed complete when a spokeswoman at Marine Corps Base Hawaii told a local TV station, “It’s your typical homecoming photo.”

The gay rights movement is applauding. » | Rowan Scarborough | The Washington Times | Thursday, March 01, 2012

Related articles, material here, here, and here.