The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it will remain on the ground on Maui to assist with the wildfire disaster for as long as is necessary.

The response now includes more than 1,000 boots on the ground, according to FEMA, with the last search and rescue team arriving on Friday.

“We have more than 1,000 federal responders including 350 search and rescue team members and canine teams deployed in Hawaii in support of residents in their greatest time of need,” said FEMA Senior Official Marcus Coleman at a teleconference Friday. “We also have FEMA disaster survivor assistance teams. These are people going to shelters, going to survivors’ homes and going to spaces where people may be, to help them register for assistance.”

This will continue even with Hurricane Hilary bearing down on California as a powerful Category 4 storm, bringing potentially “life- threatening and potentially catastrophic flooding,” according to meteorologists.

“We are committed to supporting the response and the recovery effort in Hawaii while also meeting emerging requirements across the country,” said FEMA Response Division Senior Official Matthew Payne. “We have sufficient staff and capabilities to mount the many requirements that occur throughout the year.”

To date, FEMA has paid out more than $5.6 million in assistance to nearly 2,000 households on Maui, including $2.3 million in initial rental assistance.

Nearly 6,000 survivors have registered for federal assistance so far, according to FEMA.

Survivors who have not yet done so are encouraged to register in person at the Disaster Recovery Center in Kahului, by phone 24 hours a day at 1-800-621-3362 or disasterassistance.gov or via the FEMA app.

Survivors may be approved for a one-time, immediate payment of $700 for critical needs assistance, get help with a temporary place to stay, help funding home repairs and other emergency needs.

The Disaster Recovery Center is now open at the University of Hawaii Maui College, 310 W. Kaahumanu Ave. in Kahului from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

“Search and rescue teams remain on the ground to assist with efforts,” said Coleman, “and are working diligently to ensure all properties are meticulously and respectfully searched and any victims or personal property are handled with the utmost reverence and care.”

FEMA deferred questions on how many Maui residents are still missing to state officials, saying this was standard protocol for all jurisdictions it serves.

The American Red Cross, meanwhile, continues working with the state to move survivors from emergency shelters to hotel rooms.

The number of survivors in shelters has fallen by 50%, according to FEMA, and the Red Cross expects to move all survivors from shelters into hotel rooms by next week.

The U.S. Enviornmental Protection Agency has deployed a full incident command team to Maui to identify, remove and safely dispose of household hazardous waste and disaster debris.

FEMA also addressed challenges that survivors are facing in registering, whether it be due to certain missing documents lost in the fires or multiple individuals that share the same household.

There are alternative ways to verify information, according to Recovery Division Senior Official Elizabeth Asche, which FEMA staff can walk people through.

Adults that share the same address and try to apply will likely be flagged as potential duplicates by the FEMA system, said Asche.

“There are ways to de- conflict it, and we are working actively at this event, recognizing there are in many cases, what you say, multiple, different individuals living at the same address,” she said.

Those who are having difficulty can go in person to the Disaster Recovery Center or call the 1-800 number in order to clarify the matter, she said.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has more than 30 staff in Hawaii to provide information on low-interest disaster loans. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved waivers allowing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households on Maui to purchase hot foods with SNAP benefits through Sept. 14.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Maui on Monday to meet with local officials and witness the devastation firsthand.