The Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency and the Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency conducted over one hundred site visits on Hawai'i Island last week to survey earthquake damage.
Civil Defense told HPR that 18 homes were destroyed, and 104 homes sustained major damage during the May 22nd earthquake.
Adam Weintraub, a staff officer with Civil Defense, said that some residents self-reported that their homes had major damage, but county officers changed that designation to "destroyed" after their assessment. In those cases, the earthquake made both the pad of earth under the home and surrounding retaining walls unstable.
"And if we get rainfall later in the year, you could start to see those stable pads for those homes slip down the hillside because of the erosion," he said.
Emergency officials are using documentation from these site visits to make the case for federal aid from FEMA and the Small Business Administration.
The governor's office made the formal request for federal disaster aid. While Gov. Josh Green is traveling, Acting Lt. Gov. Keith Regan has "full authority to take disaster-related actions," according to the governor's office. Green will remain in contact with emergency officials as well.
While Civil Defense has concluded its first wave of site visits, residents are still encouraged to submit damage reports. These reports will help Civil Defense understand who needs assistance should federal aid become available.
Weintraub said residents should document damages to their property, fill out a report with Civil Defense, and then start repairs on any unsafe structures.
"If we get approval for some kind of FEMA relief, then if you've got that documentation, you may still qualify, even though you have already done the repairs," he said.
"We don't want anybody to maintain an unsafe situation."
