Those who have been displaced select wasnt of some of the governor had to say. Its select wasnt of some of the governor had to say. Governor had to say. Its a heartbreaking governor had to say. Its a heartbreaking day, governor had to say. Its a | heartbreaking day, without governor had to say. Its a i heartbreaking day, without a doubt. What we think that has been catastrophic but we tell you there is going to be a team effort to bring our state back. What we saw was the utter devastation of lahaina. We walked from end to end today as a team, mayor bessant for the county, Senator Schatz, federal level and myself, plus all of our teams and what we saw was likely the largest Natural Disaster in hawaii state history. You will recall in 1960 we had one year into statehood a tsunami that hit and took 61 lives on the big island. We are seeing loss of life here. As you know, the number has been rising and we will continue to see but we have extraordinary professionals working on the job. We also have seen many hundreds of homes destroyed. And thats going to take a great deal of time to recover from. But thats why we come together, become together to give comfort to people and, like i said, we will prevail, but we come together now to talk about the specifics of resources. This morning at 12 10 am, my team and i submitted the proposal to the federal government for president ial Disaster Declaration and exactly six hours later, we were honoured to receive in the affirmative that the federal government will be supporting our full recovery. Which means that there will be grants for individuals, from fema, there will be support for rental aid, there will be support for Small Businesses and this is just a small piece of whats going to be necessary. The financial aspects of the recovery will help blunt the loss of life because all of us will have a loved one here in maui that we know of that lost a house, that lost a friend. We talked to many people today, notjust at the shelter which was something to behold, and we appreciate all the volunteers like we appreciate the incredible work of the firefighters and police, but we talked to an old gentleman who had not seen anything like this ever in his life, a whole city. His neighbours have all lost their homes. His home was intact but he was in tears. This is a gentleman who doesnt quite easily. We saw young men on bicycles riding through lahaina. They also had much loss to share. They lost their houses. And they dont know where to turn. So what were telling you we will rebuild. Today, youre going to hear from notjust me as governor but going to see what Senator Schatz will be begin to work on and proposing for our aid. Also, we have experts from fema, of course our local leadership, our State Senator and mayor. But let me say this. A couple of things. Were going to need to house of people. It is our intent to initially seek 2000 rooms so that we can get housing for people. That will mean reaching out to all of our hotels and those in the community. We will ask people to rent those extra rooms or their 80 use or the ojala that they have on the property. Well created programmes that available ohana. They will be deeply subsidised in my opinion to make sure that for the many months the people need to find a home, they can have a home here. Adus. They are part of our economy and our community. Also call to action for people across the state if you have Additional Space in your home, if you have the capacity to take someone in from west maui, please do. We will find a way to connect you. Please consider bringing those people into your lives, especially if you have a space that you can otherwise rent. State will find resources because the federal government will be full support. President biden spoke to me directly and said they will be here with us all the way. Said they will be here with us all the way all the way. Lets recap the latest details all the way. Lets recap the latest details from all the way. Lets recap the latest details from hawaii, | latest details from hawaii, then. At least 53 people are now known to have died in the fires though further governor say the number will rise and billions of dollars of property are also expected to be destroyed. Governor green says as many as 1700 buildings have also been destroyed, 11,000 people. They are still without power and water in west maui. The fires began on tuesday and Officials Say none of these fires are 100 contained right now. Blaze spread quickly, fuelled by strong winds which were generated by a hurricane over the pacific ocean. Thousands of people are still in Emergency Shelters and visitors are being evacuated from the island. These are the latest pictures that we do have, showing smouldering ruins, total devastation. It is the worst destruction which can be seen on the island of maui where some Beachfront Areas has been completely levelled and us President Joe Biden has now declare the wildfires a major disaster and in doing so, it triggers the release of federal funds to help recovery effort. He spoke earlier. We have just approved a major Disaster Declaration for hawaii, which will get aid into the hands of the people desperately needing the help now. Theyve lost anyone whos lost a loved one, whose home has been damaged or destroyed, is going to get help immediately. And ive directed that we surge support to these brave firefighters and First Responders and Emergency Personnel working around the clock there, risking their lives. Lets take a look at what else is being done to help the situation in hawaii. Brain shuts moments ago said the Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer told him he would do all he can to support a supplementalfunding bill in supplemental funding bill in Congress Supplementalfunding bill in congress are lets take a look at what else is being done to help the situation in hawaii bbrian schatz. Brian schatz. Lets take a look at what else is being done to help the situation in hawaii. The federal Emergency ManagementAgency AdministratorDeanne Criswell will travel to the state to meet with officials. Earlier, fema announced that federal Disaster Assistance has been made available to supplement local Recovery Efforts. California is sending Search And Rescue teams to help Recovery Efforts thats according to the states governor, gavin newsom. And california officials do have a lot of experience in dealing with such blazes, including the 2018 camp fire that killed 85 people. And the main airport in maui has turned into an unofficial emergency shelter. An estimated 11,000 people are being flown out to other Hawaiian Islands or the us mainland. As you can see, that has led to scenes like this. The crowds have been calm but anxious as people try to fly to safer places. This is all happening as the extent of the devastation becomes clearer as our North America correspondent nomia iqbal reports. Much of the Hawaiian Island of maui is now scorched earth. A pilot can hardly believe what hes seeing. Oh, my gosh look at the harbour this looks like baghdad or something. The Historic Town of lahaina barely exists anymore. Since the fire began on tuesday, it has ripped through, fuelled by Hurricane Force winds, leaving burnt out cars on once busy streets and instead of historic buildings, there are Smoking Piles of rubble. Everybody still out here, its time to go for anyone still in the town, the message is clear get out. If anybody� s still here, the fire is on front street and it is time to go this Satellite Image from last month and yesterday lays bare the destruction. Its something youd see in a war zone. I was the last one off the dock when the firestorm came through the banyan trees and took everything with it. And ijust ran out to the beach and i ran south and ijust helped everybody i could along the way. Still got dead bodies in the water, floating, and on the sea wall. Theyve been sitting there since last night. Weve been pulling people out since last night, trying to save peoples lives, and i feel like were not getting the help we need. The us military has now mobilised as it tries desperately to suppress the fires over the island. A state nicknamed � the paradise of the pacific� is now paradise lost. The Us Coast Guard has been working to rescue people off the coast of the town of lahaina after manyjumped into the water to escape the burning flames. They say a total of 17 people have been saved from the water. Another a0 survivors have been found on shore and brought to safety by boat crews. The coast guard says Search Efforts have covered 689 square nautical miles, which isjust over 2,000 square kilometres. Now, the weather has been very dry in hawaii recently with isolated fires breaking out. However, as we mentioned earlier, a seemingly benign hurricane in the Eastern Pacific has escalated the situation. Ben rich from bbc weather explains. The weather on its own rarely causes wildfires but it can bring conditions that make them more likely and help to fan the flames, which is exactly whats happened in hawaii. Its been very, very dry here of late and then, passing to the south, weve had this major hurricane, hurricane dora. Now, the centre of the storm has stayed well away from hawaii but its been squashing up against this big area of High Pressure and that squeezed between the two has generated some very strong winds, gusting up to 67 mph. But with that storm now drifting away westwards, the winds are easing. It is going to stay quite breezy over the next few days but not windy as it has been. However, apart from just the odd passing shower, it is going to remain largely dry. Doesnt have been displaced on maui, waiting to safely return to their homes and these are the images the bbc has seen of the images the bbc has seen of the maui War Memorial Stadium which has been Housing Scores of evacuees. Long lines and people settling in on Air Mattresses and temporary bedding in a crowded gymnasium thatis bedding in a crowded gymnasium that is overflowing. Live now to bbc digital reporter max mensah who is in hawaii. I understand you arrived fairly recently so what are you seeing there. Matza, i came into the co airport this morning which is quite full and people trying to get out. Quite full and people trying to net out. ,. , quite full and people trying to net out. ,. , quite full and people trying to netout. ,. ,. , get out. Dozens have already made about get out. Dozens have already made about but get out. Dozens have already made about but there get out. Dozens have already made about but there are get out. Dozens have already| made about but there are still hundreds of people trying to find any way to the other islands or to the mainland. I spoke to one mother of three with herfamily and spoke to one mother of three with her family and who jumped into the harbour of lahaina to escape the flames. She was battered against the rocks, got cuts all over her legs and eventually they had to flee after a firefighter found them running through the flames and they got horribly burned and now they are heading home to kansas but other people who have had close calls, turned around, leaving everything behind, all of their medication, laptops, clothing. One man i met, he arrived at the shelter telling me that he had spent the last two nights inaudible with his cuts with only the clothes on his back. Shocking testimony there. And what about what people actually need when they are coming to the shelter and how is the Shelter Being Run because as i understand it in some of these shelters, a lot of volunteers of course taking part and really a sense of all Hands On Deck here. Really a sense of all Hands On Deck here deck here. Thats right, the ymca has deck here. Thats right, the ymca has been deck here. Thats right, the ymca has been helping deck here. Thats right, the j ymca has been helping and deck here. Thats right, the ymca has been helping and lots of others, government agencies, tons of volunteers who are coming, dropping off fruit, lots of freshly cut fruit, saw a man with a bunch of bananas over his shoulder. Another traditional hawaiian treats like shaved ice and offering acupuncture and massage but people do have to bring their own bedding and many people dont have that so there is also charitable clothing and pillows, sheets and anything people need, they are sleeping on Air Mattresses that you can see behind me, there are cots. But really, the volunteer effort is just very grassroots, it seems, so far. Its not very organised. Earlier here today the governor arrived and i was told that oprah winfrey, one of the most Famous Maui Residence was here as well meeting the people. But yeah, so far, it does not seem very co ordinated but they have quite a lot of supplies. But they have quite a lot of sunplies but they have quite a lot of su lies. ,. ,. ,. , supplies. You have to wonder lookin supplies. You have to wonder looking at supplies. You have to wonder looking at the supplies. You have to wonder looking at the scene supplies. You have to wonder looking at the scene is supplies. You have to wonder| looking at the scene is behind you, max, people who have fled and lost so much, what is the mood where you are right now . Well, some people tell me that theyre trying to get their mind off of things and dont want to follow the latest updates from lahaina a place where many of them have lived for decades. One man described seeing dead bodies floating in the harbor. He didnt want to talk about it, understandably. So its kind of a variety of emotions. I would say that some people are trying to stay cheerful. And others are trying to just stave off depression. And, max, as you mentioned there, you were also at the airport earlier speaking to people. What did they tell you . Well, besides the mother that escape the Flames Byjumping into the harbor, eventually being rescued by a firefighter, i also spoke to a couple from san diego who were stuck in traffic as they watched the cloud of wildfire smoke rise in front of them. On their way back to their condo and realized we have to turnaround and drive 180 degrees in the other direction from here. Yeah, i mean, i spoke to quite a few people who were, frankly, terrified. And never had such a close brush with death. I never had such a close brush with death. Never had such a close brush with death. , with death. I can well imagine. And in terms with death. I can well imagine. And in terms of with death. I can well imagine. And in terms of the with death. I can well imagine. And in terms of the challenge l and in terms of the challenge then for authorities in hawaii, do you get the sense that on one hand, theyre having to deal with this local scale of devastation and what their communities are going through . Whilst also being cogniscent that this is a spot that attracts so many tourists and they also have to try and help coordinate efforts to evacuate them . ,. , � them . Yeah. So far, id say theres been them . Yeah. So far, id say theres been a them . Yeah. So far, id say theres been a big them . Yeah. So far, id say theres been a big divide i theres been a big divide between the shelters and the airport. The airport is, of course, all visitors. And the shelters are all local, who dont have plans to leave. And so, they need much more, of course, from the authorities. Most of the official response so far is still fighting the fires. There was a bit of rain today, which gave them a little bit of a reprieve. And the winds have died down allowing them to do helicopter and water drops, increasingly. But really, there hasnt been a lot of official presence at the shelters. Its mostly alljust volunteer run, because there are hundreds of firefighters, police officers, military personnel, who are still in the hills where fire is ongoing. And, max, as we were just hear thering in the press conference, the governor of the state saying that this is likely this is the largest disaster that the state of hawaii has ever encountered. Is there any sense about how long it will take for the state to recover from Something Like this . Something which appears so utterly devastating . fine this . Something which appears so utterly devastating . One man the man so utterly devastating . One man the man who so utterly devastating . One man the man who found so utterly devastating . One man the man who found the so utterly devastating . One man the man who found the dead i the man who found the dead bodies in Lahaina Harbor he predicted it will take quite a long time. Why . Of course, theres a lot of islands. And they need to import everything, including lumber. So all of the lumber that will be needed to be to are build the time will probably have to be shipped, probably have to be shipped, probably from the us mainland. That will take a while. And if theyre going to try to rebuild in the same historic kind of preservation way. Lahaina is a town that dates back beyond the 17005. I think that it town that dates back beyond the 1700s. I think that it dates back centuries. So if theyre going to try to restore some of the historical presence of the town, its going to take some time. A ,