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The screenshot of an alleged email regarding the Maui wildfires sent to a nonprofit by FEMA went viral, leaving netizens stunned. YouTuber Anthony Cabassa posted the screenshot on X on August 22 and wrote that the person who sent him the screenshot wished to remain anonymous.
As per the screenshot, the alleged email is sent from Justin Ángel Knighten, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Office of External Affairs. Knighten has allegedly said in that email that Maui County Officials asked them to take a pause from posting any videos or images of the disaster and damages anywhere on social media, effective immediately.
Knighten further stated that the County officials asked for a complete discontinuation of damage imageries going forward. FEMA added that they were not yet asked to take down any video or photo that have already been uploaded online. They claimed that their team, which was there on the ground, was cooperating with the officials for further guidance to make sure both parties remain aligned.
The alleged email concluded:
“Cultural sensitivity is of the utmost importance in all our response and recovery activities to this disaster.”
The nonprofit organization as well as netizens found the message in the alleged email weird and unusual since the residents of the island had been posting images and videos of the situation online ever since the wildfire hit Hawaii.
Netizens react to alleged FEMA email about Maui wildfires
People started speculating about what could have possibly been FEMA's motive behind the alleged email. Some also expressed their doubts about the county officials for allegedly asking FEMA to refrain from posting visual updates of the disaster across the island.
FEMA opened a disaster recovery center in Maui
On August 16, the Federal Emergency Management Agency stated in a press release that affected Maui residents can register at a Disaster Recovery Center for federal disaster assistance.
The center was opened on that very day at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College in Kahului. Wildfire survivors were asked to speak to FEMA specialists if needed and get assistance with registration for disaster assistance. They were also told to reach out to voluntary organizations as well as have access to other state and federal resources.
FEMA continued in the statement that specialists appointed at the Disaster Recovery Center are also equipped with multilingual operators to help in communication. They claimed that the center had also printed handout materials in more than one language.
Apart from the recovery center, FEMA also pledged aid of more than $5.6 million to nearly 2,000 affected Maui households and additionally promised more relief on August 18.
FEMA officials also announced that they were offering $700 per household to help the survivors with food, clothing, and transportation. It would be a one-time payment. Officials added that by Friday, August 18, more than 6,000 survivors applied for federal disaster assistance.
The agency announced that it will continue to pay for putting the survivors in local motels and hotels for the time being. As per Elizabeth Ashe, a recovery division senior official at FEMA, they have secured around 700 to 1,000 rooms. FEMA also claimed to have paid rental assistance of around $2.3 million so far.
