By Shiyin Chen
The disastrous wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui are now the US’s deadliest in more than a century, as officials warned the death toll may rise further amid concerns about the effectiveness of an emergency alarm system.
The number of fatalities reached 96, and Hawaii Governor Josh Green said over the weekend of August 12-13, that the figure would likely increase as search and rescue efforts continue. Officials said that just a fraction of the area had been checked and that they were bringing in more cadaver dogs to help with efforts. It was still unclear when residents may return to the area.
The fast-moving flames had been fanned by hurricane-force winds off the coast, creating apocalyptic scenes on the island as residents scrambled to flee. Extreme weather has battered many parts of the world this summer, as climate change increases the intensity of heat waves while bringing fires, floods and violent storms.
“This is the largest natural disaster we’ve ever experienced,”
Green said.
“It’s also going to be a natural disaster that takes an incredible amount of time to recover from.”
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Maui wildfires of 2023 (natural disaster, Hawaii, United States)
Three weeks after the fire, Sutrov and others were anxious to know when the island’s water will be safe.
Some areas under the unsafe water advisory could be cleared to use their tap water in a couple of weeks, said John Stufflebean, director of the Maui County Department of Water Supply.
But experts and history suggest it could take months or years before the worst of the damaged areas have safe water fully restored.
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