With the back-to-back Kona low storms impacting Hawaiʻi and Super Typhoon Sinlaku making its destructive course across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, various federal agencies have had to deploy disaster teams to assist with storm recovery across the Pacific.
HPR previously spoke with representatives from the Small Business Association and the Environmental Protection Agency on typhoon recovery efforts in Guam and CNMI.
To share updates on how financial assistance from the federal government is being made available to victims from the Kona low storms, HPR spoke with Hiro Toiya, the incident management assistance team leader with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“We always say that disasters start locally, and we're really relying on that local leadership and working with each of the counties, with the state and with the federal government coming in to provide support,” Toiya said. “And that's been our entire approach here, is to really rely on that local leadership, and they're the ones that know the community the best.”
Toiya encouraged all storm-impacted residents, regardless of damage suffered, to apply for assistance now being made available across the state.
“I've been able to talk to some of the survivors, and they feel like maybe others have had it worse… so they've kind of shied away from applying for further assistance. But you know, that person applying for assistance isn't taking help away from anybody else,” Toiya said.
“So I really encourage everybody to take advantage of the programs that are available right now.”
According to Toiya, an individual assistance program has been activated to provide direct assistance to those impacted by the storm. Those interested can register at this website or call FEMA directly at 1-800-621-3362.
Additionally, FEMA will be have in-person assistance available at multiple locations across the state. More information can be found here.
This story aired on The Conversation on May 7, 2026. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. Jinwook Lee adapted this story for the web.
