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Transcript/ScriptHawaii Wildfires (TV)
HEADLINE: Bidens to Visit First Responders on Fire-Ravaged Maui
TEASER: At least 110 people have been killed, with that number expected to climb
PUBLISHED AT: 08/20/23 at 4:10p
BYLINE: Arash Arabasadi
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Washington
VIDEOGRAPHER: AP/ RICHIE OLSTEN/ BOSCO BAE JR, RETIRED USAF / LOCAL NEWS X / TMX/ REUTERS/ OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII/ DVIDS/ ABC “THIS WEEK”
SCRIPT EDITORS: Page; caw
VIDEO SOURCE (S): AP/ RICHIE OLSTEN/ BOSCO BAE JR, RETIRED USAF / LOCAL NEWS X / TMX/ REUTERS/ OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII/ DVIDS/ ABC “THIS WEEK”
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV X RADIO __
TRT: 2:45
NOTE:
VID APPROVED BY: MP
TYPE: TVPKG
UPDATE: ))
((INTRO)) [[ President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Maui Monday to assess the impact of wildfires that reduced parts of the Hawaiian archipelago to smoldering ash. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more on the devastation and how some residents are coping.]]
((mandatory cg RICHIE OLSTEN))
“Oh my God, look at the harbor.”
((NARRATOR))
As rapidly spreading wildfires left Hawaii’s second-largest island smoldering, pilot Richie Olsten saw it all from his cockpit.
[RADIO TRACK: Air Maui Helicopters pilot Richie Olsten speaking with The Associated Press.]
((courtesy: AP))
((Richie Olsten, Air Maui Helicopters))
“Hundreds of homes leveled down to the ground. The historic section of town is destroyed. All the historic buildings – Lahaina used to be the capital of all of Hawaii – are gone. Even the boats in the harbor were burned down to the water. They’re gone.”
((mandatory cg BOSCO BAE JR, RETIRED USAF / LOCAL NEWS X / TMX))
((NARRATOR))
What started as a brush fire quickly escalated amid a perfect storm of high winds and dry conditions that scorched the historic town of Lahaina in Maui — burning much of this commercial and cultural hub to the ground.
Maui’s emergency chief, Herman Andaya, resigned during the disaster amid criticism for not sounding the emergency sirens typically used to signal tsunami warnings.
((mandatory cg OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR OF HAWAII))
((NARRATOR))
Andaya defended the decision, saying tsunami warnings drive people inland, and in this case, that meant straight into the fire. His resignation was officially due to health reasons.
((mandatory cg DVIDS))
((NARRATOR))
More than 110 people have died in the fires, a number that is expected to grow in the coming days. The number of people missing remains unclear, but Hawaii first responders recently received reinforcements from the Department of Defense. Members of the U.S. Army and National Guard joined search and rescue teams, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, says relief efforts have so far been a success.
[RADIO TRACK: FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell speaking on ABC’s “This Week.”]
((mandatory cg ABC “THIS WEEK”))
((Deanne Criswell, FEMA Administrator))
“Right now, the search efforts are 78% complete in Lahaina town. And we continue to have our teams on the ground going through all of the structures that were lost as a result of this fire. But we’ve also given out already over $8 million to families that have been impacted and registered for assistance with FEMA. And our shelter population is down to just over 40 with over 12-hundred people that have been moved into hotels, motels, and other types of short-term rentals.”
((NARRATOR))
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are scheduled to visit Lahaina Monday. For area residents struggling to get basic needs met, Biden brings a sense of hope that relief will quickly go where it’s most needed.
[RADIO TRACK: Lahaina resident Jim Wilsey speaking with Reuters.]
((Jim Wilsey, Lahaina Resident))
“I’m very hopeful that him coming in will help expedite a lot of products coming in. A lot of the supplies that aren’t able to make it, like the guys, I found out from the guys that are staying at the hotel that if it’s not FEMA certified or Red Cross, they’re not getting the supplies that are waiting outside their door. So, I mean, it’s frustrating.”
((NARRATOR))
Even amid a global outpouring of donations and support, the Bidens will be visiting a disaster zone marked by the deadliest wildfires in more than a century.
((Arash Arabasadi, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Washington D. C.
Embargo DateAugust 20, 2023 17:09 EDT
BylineArash Arabasadi, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
