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AP U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden tour areas devastated by wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii, on Monday.
By Takayuki Fuchigami / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
16:44 JST, August 22, 2023
LAHAINA, Hawaii — U.S. President Joe Biden toured Lahaina in western Maui on Monday, pledging that the U.S. government would provide long-term support for reconstruction from the area’s devastating wildfires.
“To the people of Hawaii, we’re with you as long as it takes, I promise you,” Biden said during a speech in memory of the victims.
After arriving in the center of Maui via Air Force One with first lady Jill Biden, Biden surveyed the wildfire damage from a helicopter. In Lahaina, he was briefed by local officials on the search for survivors and provided encouragement for people affected by the disaster.
Biden also announced in his speech the appointment of a senior official of the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the response coordinator for the wildfires, to ensure close coordination between the U.S. government and local authorities in recovery efforts.
