LIHUE, Hawaii — Kauai County issued an update on Friday as officials continue to assess damage to the island and remind the public to submit damage reports caused by the heavy rains that hit Kauai starting April 11.

What You Need To Know

  • Officials continue to remind the public to submit damage reports through KEMA’s damage assessment portal that will close on April 29

  • “With our damage assessment portal closing on Monday, we encourage those who haven’t yet reported their damages to do so this weekend,” said Kauai Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) Administrator Elton Ushio

  • Those affected by the flooding can call the Kauai Crisis Cleanup hotline at 808-451-3102 until May 3 when it will close

  • People can also contact KEMA at 808-241-1800 or email kema@kaua.gov for more information or assistance with flood recovery

On Monday, federal, state, and county officials will begin the Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment process, which will validate damage data identified previously by state and local authorities. The JPDA process will help determine the magnitude of damage and whether federal assistance is necessary.

“The JPDA process follows up on the initial assessments by county, state, National Guard, American Red Cross and eligible non-governmental partners,” said Kauai Emergency Management Agency (KEMA) Administrator Elton Ushio in a news release. “JPDA validation will determine possible paths forward in terms of potential assistance from FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration.”

Officials continue to remind the public to submit damage reports through KEMA’s damage assessment portal that opened April 12. The information provided helps the county understand the scope of property damage, and with the significant increase in daily reports, officials believe they have a fair understanding of the scope of impact. Therefore, KEMA will close the portal on April 29.

“With our damage assessment portal closing on Monday, we encourage those who haven’t yet reported their damages to do so this weekend,” said Ushio. “Officials will continue to announce updates as resources become available and we encourage all to stay informed.”

Personnel assessing damage during the next week will have official identification to verify their credentials.

In the meantime, KEMA has been working with the Kauai Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster. Those affected by the flooding can call the Kauai Crisis Cleanup hotline at 808-451-3102 until May 3 when it will close.

People can also contact KEMA at 808-241-1800 or email kema@kaua.gov for more information or assistance with flood recovery.

Editor's note: The article has been updated to reflect when the heavy rains began. (April 27, 2024)