Kauai seeks to access emergency fund as disaster spending continues rising

Kauai Mayor Bernard P. Carvalho Jr. signed a supplementary emergency proclamation Tuesday that allows the county to continue responding in the aftermath of the torrential rainfall and flooding that occurred a week and a half ago.

The new declaration allows the county to spend more than the $50,000 authorized by Carvalho’s first emergency proclamation, signed April 14.

Carvalho today will ask the Kauai County Council for permission to tap into $5 million of the county’s $14 million Emergency Management Contingency Fund, county spokeswoman Kim Tamaoka said.

County officials reported Tuesday that they distributed about 400 gallons of fuel to 80 households Monday and Tuesday. Fuel will continue to be distributed to residents of the cut-off communities of Wainiha and Haena between 8 a.m. and noon daily from Camp Naue.

Meanwhile, eight Kauai beaches have been removed from the brown-­water advisory called islandwide following the flooding event, according to the state Department of Health.

As of Tuesday afternoon the following beaches were removed from being covered by the advisory: MacArthur Park, Hanapepe Salt Pond, Poipu Beach Pavilion, Kalapaki Beach, Kealia Beach Park, Anahola Bay Pavilion, Hanalei Bay Pavilion and Waioli Beach Park.

These beaches tested well below the safe threshold for enterococcus, which is an indicator of potentially harmful bacteria in the water, health officials said Tuesday.

A brown-water advisory had been in effect islandwide since the rain event, with the exception of Keoneloa Bay to Sheraton Beach.

Beaches on Kauai will continue to be tested frequently, officials said.

Elsewhere, inspectors working with the state, Kauai County, the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to complete preliminary damage assessments of private and public property by Thursday, said Richard Rapozo, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman.

The assessments are the required starting point for obtaining a presidential disaster declaration and allocation of federal funds, Rapozo said. The next step will have the governor submitting a request to FEMA’s regional administrator.

Lorinda Wong-Lau, chief of HI-EMA’s Disaster Assistance Section, said a lot of people seem to have a misunderstanding of the process.

“They expect that FEMA will just appear and start providing assistance,” she said in a news release. “We actually have to go through a number of steps to complete the paperwork and work with FEMA before the disaster declaration request is submitted to the president for approval.”

Wong-Lau said she expects to be ready to submit an application by the beginning of May.

Meanwhile the Hawaii Community Foundation on Tuesday announced its latest round of grants, totaling $100,000 and going to seven organizations helping out with the Kauai disaster.

The largest grant of $25,000 went to Aina Hoo­kupu o Kilauea, which has deployed all of its staff and heavy equipment to the relief effort. The group has made calls to every house in the Kalihiwai area to assess the needs and status of households and has helped to remove green waste, replace fencing, create access to homes and offer manpower and supplies to those in need.

Others receiving funds from the foundation were Kauai SPCA, Limahuli Gardens, Hanalei School Parent Teacher Student Association, Hawaii State Bar Foundation, Kauai Christian Academy and Poipu Beach Foundation.