There’s still a lot of uncertainty about how much damage was caused by the recent Kona low storms — and where the money for recovery will come from.
The City and County of Honolulu’s early estimate is it will need about $100 million following the floods.
But more accurate costs will come as damages are reported and evaluated by the city and the federal government. There are also some lingering questions, including how much of the damage can be covered by insurance.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency declared the recent storms in the state a disaster, meaning federal funding is available to help with the recovery. The state can get 75% of flood-related costs reimbursed by the federal government.
But that means the city is still responsible for millions of dollars for that recovery effort.
Honolulu Department of Budget and Fiscal Services Director Andy Kawano says the city has around $11.5 million total this year and next for disaster response, although some of it has already been spent.
He's hoping to find some savings in city departments to avoid tapping into its rainy day fund, formally known as the fiscal stability fund.
“I'm hoping that all of the departments can dig through their savings and use as much of that as possible,” Kawano said. “So I'm hoping that we can defer the use of the fiscal stability fund as long as possible and make it the last resort.”
Hawaiʻi officials say the flood recovery effort will require years of funding, both from the local and federal governments.
On the federal level, Hawaiʻi’s U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz told colleagues that federal funding is necessary going forward.
“Recovering from a disaster of this magnitude will take months and years. Homes, roads, schools, and hospitals that were flooded and badly damaged will need to be rebuilt,” Schatz said in prepared remarks to the U.S. Senate.
He added, “And doing so will require significant resources, which is why the administration's approval of Governor Josh Green's disaster declaration request is so important. As with disasters in the past, these federal dollars will support cleanup and repairs as well as help residents get back on their feet through individual assistance.”
