Bush Declares Kilauea’s Path a Disaster Area

President Bush Friday declared a major disaster on the island of Hawaii, where Kilauea volcano has destroyed 139 homes and caused an estimated $61 million in damage, Gov. John Waihee announced.

The President’s action makes federal funding available to affected individuals and local governments. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will coordinate the effort and designate specific areas eligible for aid.

“Assistance can include temporary housing, grants, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” the White House said.

“Federal funding also is available to eligible local governments on a cost-sharing basis for the repair or replacement of public facilities damaged by the lava,” the announcement said.

Waihee hailed the President’s action and said the state would link up immediately with federal and county officials to coordinate recovery operations on the “Big Island.”

Waihee said he was also grateful that the action was made effective Jan. 24, 1983, when the volcano started its devastation, and that officials had recognized that this had been “a unique, slow-moving disaster.”

Bush’s letter to Waihee said “We will also be asking the state to develop an appropriate mitigation solution to prevent future damage.”

Meanwhile, civil defense authorities ordered the evacuation of some of the few remaining homes in Kalapana as a new lava flow snaked down the volcano’s slopes and completely cut off the Kalapana Gardens housing area.

Civil defense spokesman Lanny Nakano said the molten rock crossed Highway 130 about 7 p.m. Thursday, followed the road for about 15 yards, and then headed downslope into the deserted housing area.

He said the lava crossed Lokelani and Leilani streets at about 11 p.m., Lokelani was the final entrance to Kalapana Gardens that had been untouched by the flows that destroyed most of the development.