Officials say fewer than 50 on Maui seek storm relief

PUKALANI, Maui » Fewer than 50 people met with government agencies in Upcountry Maui to ask for assistance yesterday in the wake of storm damage earlier this month.

State Civil Defense spokesman Dave Curtis said some were business people but most were homeowners who met with various government officials to ask questions about how to obtain assistance.

The meeting took place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center in Pukalani.

Another similar meeting is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today at the Pacific Disaster Center at the Maui High Technology Park in Kihei.

Curtis said agencies are having difficulty determining the extent of the storm damage because some residents are having their homes fixed through insurance companies and are not seeking government help.

Civil Defense official Kevin Richards said that, conservatively speaking, damage to public infrastructure including roads and waterlines is well more than $1 million.

Richards said it was too early to make a preliminary determination as to the total damage from the storm.