(BIVN) – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz spoke from the floor of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, stressing the need for continued federal support as Hawaiʻi recovers from two damaging kona low storms. 

Sen. Schatz (D, Hawai‘i) detailed the severity of the back-to-back weather systems, which flooded the Hawaiian islands from March 10th to March 24th. 

The senator also explained how the “aloha spirit prevailed” during the disaster, as first responders worked beside their fellow neighbors to keep eachother safe and to begin the cleanup. 

In April, President Trump approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaiʻi, making federal funding available to affected individuals. 

“The federal government has a responsibility to share the burden of rebuilding,” Senator Schatz said. “And while the approval of the disaster declaration is a good first step, it is just that – a first step.”

From Senator Schatz’ full remarks:

Hawai‘i experienced its worst flooding in more than 20 years last month. Two storms, less than two weeks apart, whipped up hurricane-force winds of up to 135 miles per hour and dumped more than 62 inches of rain in parts of the state. All told, nearly 2 trillion gallons of water fell from the sky statewide, enough to fill 3 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. And the resulting damage was widespread and severe.

It all started on March 10th, when the first storm – known as a Kona low – brought close to 10 inches of rain over 4 days and broke daily rainfall records on O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and Kaua‘i. The powerful winds and heavy rain flooded homes, toppled power lines, and shuttered schools and businesses. Well over 100,000 residents lost power.

But before people could even begin to recover, a second storm quicky followed just days later, delivering more than a foot of rain. With the ground still saturated from the previous storm and drainage capacity overwhelmed, flooding got worse across the state. More than 5,000 residents were forced to evacuate and seek cover in shelters and schools. Homes were lifted off their foundations. Cars floated out of driveways. Roads and highways became inaccessible. Crops washed away on farms and fields.

But amid the devastation wrought by the relentless rain, Hawai‘i’s aloha spirit prevailed. We saw it in the heroic emergency responders who rescued hundreds of people who were stuck in danger, with no way to get out. We saw it in all the people rushing to check in on their neighbors, sharing information on social media in real time, and helping clean up the debris and mud once the rain passed. Farmers who lost their own fields instead went to help their neighbors rebuild. Businesses sprang into action to hand out supplies and hot meals despite losing sales and incurring damages of their own. That’s Hawai‘i: no one is a stranger, especially in a time of need. And everyone pitches in to help.

Recovering from a disaster of this magnitude will take months and years. Homes, roads, schools, and hospitals that were flooded and badly damaged will need to be rebuilt. And doing so will require significant resources, which is why the administration’s approval of Governor Josh Green’s disaster declaration request is so important. As with disasters in the past, these federal dollars will support cleanup and repairs as well as help residents get back on their feet through individual assistance.

The state and county governments are doing everything they can to help people recover fully and quickly, but they can’t do it alone. They need help. The federal government has a responsibility to share the burden of rebuilding. And while the approval of the disaster declaration is a good first step, it is just that – a first step. In the months and years ahead, we will need to be there to provide support and resources in any way we can until the affected people and communities are made whole once again.