Federal aid for floods, but for lava?

It’s tough being ground zero for natural disasters, but at least more help is on the way.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a major disaster declaration for April’s floods, landslides and mudslides that devastated Kauai and Oahu. The approval paves the way for aid and funding for emergency work and repair of disaster-damaged public facilities in Honolulu and Kauai. At least $19.7 million in damage has already been quantified.

And of course, the new disaster hot spot is Kilauea’s lava zone on Hawaii island, with some three dozen structures destroyed, up to 1,800 evacuated and widening cracks in Pahoa’s highway. Federal Emergency Management Agency officials are on the ground; let’s hope a major disaster declaration for the island will soon follow to provide more help.