National Guard mobilized as Hawaii battles worst flooding in 20 years
Search-and-rescue teams from the National Guard are fanning out across Hawaii, where a powerful storm has destroyed hundreds of homes and buried roads in red volcanic mud.
Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green declared on Saturday that he was mobilizing 195 soldiers and airmen to aid communities. Catastrophic winds and flash flooding have forced thousands in the archipelago to evacuate and prompted over 200 rescues, according to authorities.
The islands of Oahu and Maui have borne the brunt of the deluge, with some communities inundated by up to 4 feet of rain from the back-to-back storms that began late last week. Green described the floods as the worst the state has seen in more than two decades, with rising waters ravaging airports, schools and a hospital. The extreme conditions have left some neighborhoods completely isolated.
Early estimates place losses well above $1 billion.
“While the immediate threat from the storm has passed, recovery efforts continue across the islands as state and county crews assess damage, clear debris and restore impacted infrastructure,” the governor’s office asserted in a press release.
Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan, the state’s adjutant general, said that the Hawaii National Guard has personnel stationed in every county emergency operations center to assist with the storm’s aftermath.
Logan added that the Guard has 21 High Water Vehicle Teams positioned on multiple islands, each capable of traversing floodwaters of up to 3 feet in depth.
Units trained in chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives were deployed as part of the response team, as well as three Black Hawk helicopters that have been used for dozens of search-and-rescue operations.
The Coast Guard and Navy also joined the effort, carrying out aerial rescues to lift stranded residents to safety over the past several days.
To bolster recovery efforts, Green said on Monday that he is coordinating with newly sworn-in Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin — who overseas the Federal Emergency Management Agency — to secure additional resources. The governor claimed to have received assurances about a presidential emergency disaster declaration and a federal cost share of up to 90%.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Hawaii National Guard mobilized 195 soldiers and airmen to conduct search-and-rescue operations across Hawaii in response to severe flooding caused by powerful storms. The flooding has resulted in over 200 rescues and significant damage, with losses estimated above $1 billion. High Water Vehicle Teams and Black Hawk helicopters are actively involved in recovery efforts, while coordination with federal agencies is ongoing to secure additional resources.
- Hawaii National Guard mobilized 195 personnel for search-and-rescue operations.
- Severe flooding caused by storms has led to over 200 rescues and significant damage.
- Governor declared the floods as the worst in over 20 years, with losses exceeding $1 billion.
- High Water Vehicle Teams and Black Hawk helicopters are deployed for recovery efforts.
- Coordination with federal agencies for additional resources is underway.