Bush declares disaster in Hawaii

U.S. President George W. Bush on Tuesday declared a major disaster on Hawaii and ordered federal aid to fund state and local recovery efforts on the Pacific island struck by an earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale two days ago.

As a result of the declaration, federal funding was available to state and local governments and private nonprofit organizations in the counties of Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, and Maui and the city of Honolulu for debris removal and emergency protective measures, according to a press release issued by the White House.

Federal funding was also available for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Preliminary estimates showed on Tuesday that the earthquake which struck Hawaii on Sunday caused damage valued at 46 million U.S. dollars on the Big Island, a figure that was expected to grow.

The tremor struck off the west coast of Hawaii Island early in the morning, cutting power to as many as 45,000 homes and businesses and causing damage to buildings.

No fatalities or serious injuries were reported in the quake, the strongest to hit Hawaii since November 1983.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has issued a disaster declaration, which would make the state eligible for federal emergency assistance, and a team of nearly 100 people from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been sent to the main island of Hawaii, to assess damage and coordinate federal aid.

Source: Xinhua