New satellite images show the extent of the damage nearly a year after deadly fires ravaged the historic region West Maui town of Lahaina — but also show signs of a community that is gradually recovering.
Forest fires of August 8, 2023The floods were the worst natural disaster in Hawaii’s history, destroying more than 3,900 properties and killing more than 100 people, according to Hawaiian authorities. Local, state and federal agencies have been working to help Maui residents tackle the arduous process of rebuilding.
A CBS News analysis of satellite imagery shows signs of recovery, but significant damage remains. The images show cleared plots as debris is removed, greenery returns and new temporary housing sites are built for displaced residents.
Satellite images from April and August 2024 show debris removal in Lahaina. These more recent satellite images show cleared terrain and noticeably less ash and dust covering the town.
Satellite images from April 18, 2024 show greenery returning to parts of Lahaina – including around the 151-year-old banyan tree who survived the fires.
The first truckload of residential debris left Lahaina in January and headed to a temporary debris storage site in West Maui, according to Col. Eric Swenson, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Reclamation Office. Since then, 98 percent of the debris from residential properties has been cleaned up.
The debris removal process brings residents closer to obtaining crucial permits needed to rebuild their homes.
About 12,000 Maui residents have been displaced by the fires, according to Hawaiian authorities. Thousands of people who lost their homes have been placed in short-term hotels through a Red Cross program, but longer-term solutions are needed, Maui County authorities said.
“One of the biggest challenges is that West Maui in particular is a very tight-knit community,” Swenson said. “And a lot of the residents here — this is where they grew up, this is where their services are, their doctors, their friends, their family. A lot of them want to get back to their old lives here in West Maui.”
Satellite imagery shows construction underway on two new temporary housing projects in West Maui: the 169-unit Kilohana site and the 450-unit Ka Laʻi Ola site.
Kilohana, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state of Hawaii, is expected to be completed by the end of October, according to USACE. Ka Laʻi Ola is being built by the state of Hawaii and is adjacent to Kilohana. The first residents are expected to move into Ka Laʻi Ola this month, according to the County of Maui.
Swenson said he expects construction to continue, though the process will be fraught with challenges. Hawaii officials have said the tourism-dependent island has taken a huge financial hit from the fires. Swenson said urgent housing needs could outstrip the number of available contractors.
But he believes the reconstruction efforts are creating a “sense of hope and encouragement.”
“Every time we have a vacant lot and I meet with the residents, the dynamic changes,” Swenson said. “The sadness, the despair, sometimes fades. And what they see in that vacant lot is they see opportunity. They see their future in front of them.”
