Report Damages to Maui County

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Maui County officials are encouraging residents and businesses to submit their individual damage reports to the Civil Defense Agency, through the county website.

The information will ensure the county has a “complete picture of the scope of damage caused by the March 11 tsunami,” according to a news release.

“To some people it was a disaster, but…until we get these assessments we don’t know what we [county] qualify for,” said Rod Antone, communications director.

The damage reports collected so far on Molokai, gathered by local police and Red Cross volunteers over last weekend, will also go to the county. Antone stressed that individuals must file their own flood insurance, and any funding the county gets from the state from these damage reports will go toward “improving entire communities.”

He added businesses not physically affected by the flood could still report damage, if for example, a road closure prevented business to be conducted.

Gov. Abercrombie signed a “state of disaster proclamation” earlier this week, alloing the state to receive federal funds, according to a report by CNN.com. The governor said statewide the tsunami caused tens of millions of dollars’ worth of damage.

“We’re the only county with more [than one] island; its more difficult for us to assess what’s going on,” Antone said.

Residents can report their home or businesses damage through a report found at the county website, mauicounty.gov. The deadline is this Friday, March 18.