Hawaii

‘We are still in a crisis’: 1,500+ families believed to have left Maui since August wildfires

Published

2 years ago

February 20, 2024

‘We are still in a crisis’: 1,500+ families believed to have left Maui since August wildfires

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A new number to help understand the exodus from Maui. The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement says more than 1,500 families have moved off-island since the August fires. Mayor Richard Bissen says the fires displaced 5,400 families, and more than a quarter have left Maui.

Kuhio Lewis, CEO of the nonprofit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, says families leaving Hawaii has long been a problem but made worse by the Maui wildfires.

“We believe strongly that there’s over 1,500 families that have already left Maui,” said Lewis.

He says that figure represents people who have moved from Maui to other islands or elsewhere.

“We are still in a crisis. We are still in an emergency. We need to get people houses so they can find stability so they can return to some degree of normalcy,” said Lewis.

“We don’t know if that’s permanent or temporary. We know they’ve relocated. They’ve gone somewhere other than Lahaina, but we don’t know if they are coming back,” said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen.

Bissen says the county and its partner nonprofits like the CNHA are working to keep families on Maui. He says because of new tax incentives, there’s been 1,560 conversions from short-term to long-term rentals.

CNHA says it’s housing 700 displaced survivors and hopes to have 34 units built by March or April.

“It’s costing us $72,000 a day to house them, so it’s not cheap, but again, keeping our people in Hawaii is so important,” said Lewis.

Two months after the fire destroyed Kathy Sicard’s home, she moved to Kailua-Kona.

“I knew that I could transition more easily than people with children,” said Sicard.

She had lived on Maui for 14 years and sadly believes that soon more people will be saying a permanent “aloha” to the Valley Isle.

“I’m not surprised. I think that’s a very small number. I think over time, the number will grow because there is no long-term housing opportunity for many people,” said Sicard.

CNHA says it has a data-sharing agreement with Red Cross and FEMA that cannot be disclosed, but it also has its own data.

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Related Topics:displaced Featured Maui wildfires

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Hawaii

Legendary music group coming to Hawaii in support of flooding recovery

Published

8 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Legendary music group coming to Hawaii in support of flooding recovery

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Earth, Wind & Fire is scheduled to perform at the Blaisdell Arena for one night in June to help fund local flooding relief efforts.

The concert is set for Saturday, June 13, at 8 p.m. Organizers said there will be no opening act, and all proceeds will be donated to help those impacted by the Kona low storms.

RELATED STORY: City continues Kona low recovery efforts

History

Earth, Wind & Fire was founded in 1969 by musician Maurice White. They have since created eight number-one hits and sold more than 100 million albums worldwide.

Out of 23 albums released, eight have earned Double Platinum status, and the group has won 9 Grammy Awards.

Earth, Wind & Fire was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Ticket information

Hawaii residents will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets during an exclusive online-only presale beginning Friday, April 3, at 10 a.m.

Mainland attendees and Blaisdell Box Office customers will be able to purchase tickets starting Friday, April 10, at 10 a.m.

Up to eight tickets may be purchased by one patron. Children younger than five years old will not be allowed to attend.

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Hawaii

Chaminade OF Mata gets PacWest award | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

20 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Chaminade OF Mata gets PacWest award | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Hawaii

‘Absolutely shocking’: Scituate community mourns couple killed in Hawaii helicopter crash – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

‘Absolutely shocking’: Scituate community mourns couple killed in Hawaii helicopter crash – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

SCITUATE, MASS. (WHDH) – The Scitutate community is fondly remembering a couple killed in a helicopter crash in Hawaii Thursday during a post-retirement trip.

Patrick “P.J.” Haskell, 59, and his wife Margaret Rimmler, 65, lived in a Scituate neighborhood near the ocean. They took a trip to Hawaii last week after Haskell permanently retired from the insurance business he ran with his father for decades.

“We figured Massachusetts was close enough for us, and then when we hear it was our next door neighbor – it was shocking. Absolutely shocking,” said Steve Osborne, a neighbor.

Neighbors said Rimmler worked in the tech marketing field for years, and Haskell had big plans for retirement involving his garden and bee hives.

“He loved his gardening, and he had an overabundance of vegetables in the summertime,” said Mary Talbot, a neighbor.

“I had just spoken to him last week, and he had checked the bees and they all made it through the winter,” Osborne said.

On Thursday afternoon, the sightseeing helicopter the couple was flying in crashed near a remote beach off the coast of Kauai, killing them and one other person. Experts say the area’s geography of tall seaside cliffs and sharp mountain ridges can make for turbulant air and hazardous flying conditions.

In a memorial posting, Haskell Insurance Agency wrote, “Patrick recently retired and along with Margaret, deserved many more years together…Patrick’s kindness and selfless nature impacted all who knew him. He extended respect and compassion to everyone he encountered.”

Neighbors said the couple will be sorely missed.

“They were just the nicest people, the nicest people,” said Osborne. “Every time I look out over there it’s just so sad.”

Federal authorities are investigating the cause of the helicopter crash.

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