The post-Helene FEMA scandal will likely go down in history as second only to the TeaPotDome scandal which nearly brought down the US government. Local residents in Asheville/WesternNC complained that FEMA was doing nothing to assist, but was living large in local hotels. Worse, they stole donated generators and threatened to arrest volunteers who attempted to assist in the recovery and in the Search and Rescue operations - likely a cause of death for hundreds of victims.
Currently, it appears the predators who created Hurricane Helene are now in the impacted area clearing woodland and creating roadways for heavy equipment to begin mining for the LITHIUM deposits below the land destroyed by Duke Power flooding resulting from their opening the flood gates, creating, as one expert noted, a flood force greater than Niagara Falls.
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But, now we have a new, more impressive FEMA scandal.
Reportedly, FEMA merely changed leadership; but apparently, it maintained its questionable ethics.
An estimated 13,000 people lost their homes in the fires on Maui. But, that number remains debatable; early reports noted the disappearance of many children -- but officials later assured us that most had been found.
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| After the fire |
As yet, the origin or basis for the fires remains unknown, although officially, dry grass from the drought caught fire when the wind blew an electric cable down and high winds fanned those flames. Then again, it was evident that if a property (house or vehicle) was blue, the fire did not consume it, as evidenced in California (since then, all photos of undamaged structures with blue roofs and/or blue vehicles seem to have been wiped from the internet). Thus, the theory that the fires were likely created via Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) - discounted by the Pentagon which advised the DEW weapons were not yer functional at the time of the fire (and yet, the earlier Charged Particle Beam was fully functional by 1990, so one might surmise the DEW would have been developed by 2020).
And, speculation that 0prah or 0bama had been behind the Maui burnout were dismissed saying that their properties were on the other side of the island (but news reports stated that the fires erupted spontaneously throughout the island).
Two years later, the issue of DEWs and unscathed homes with blue roofs, or blue vehicles has disappeared from all coverage of the event other than to refer to those concepts as Conspiracy Theories.
Official reports, however, blame the fire on a downed electrical power line, igniting leaves.
Unclear is why residents were advised to remain in their housing areas since the fires were declared contained - until they weren't! Normal exit streets were all blocked by police, causing residents to perish in the fires. Many residents attempted to leave on their own when they saw flames or smelled smoke.
But armed police closed the single key route out of town "...to protect people from downed lines toppled by the wind". Photos of families later burned to death in their cars called that explanation into question. One family did make it out of town by swerving around the barricade blocking Honoapiilani Highway, the main coastal road leading in and out of Lahaina - which was empty of traffic; oddly, the police would not allow cars onto the highway - and they never did explain their action.
In fact, most of the traffic was routed along that single downtown street, gridlocking the town.
Oddly, the Fire Department is rarely mentioned in current accounts; but locals, at the time, stated the Fire Department was not to be seen - other than to be turned sideways, blocking roads. The official explanation was that the dry areas spontaneously broke out around the island, overstretching the fire department resources. Then again, some folks advised that fire engines had no water, or, the fire hydrants didn't work, or the winds were too forceful for aircraft dropping water on the fires. [Hurricane Dora reportedly caused strong winds to hit Maui from just 500 miles out.]
The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) failed the citizenry by not setting off the emergency sirens, but instead sent out text alerts which did not connect since the cellular service was down. (Early siren alerts likely would have saved some lives.)
(The preceding reports were from residents during the fires, though government agencies laterglossed over those first hand reports.)
911 operators/emergency dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls from those able to get service.
Also unclear is the fate of the children. The figures range from 2,000 to a few dozen. Official reports are questionable, given the reporting during and after the fires. Maui had a tradition of children gone missing, but police departments dismissed those accounts.
Notably, Elon Musk delivered more than 650 Starlink internet terminals to eight charging stations in Maui, delivering 1,000 connections per station.
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| A bargain, at only $826,000 |
1) FEMA is now under fire for spending $826,000 for each tiny (490 square feet) Maui homes and $12,000 per month to manage each of these homes, whether or not they were occupied. By mid-2024, 500 of these units remained vacant.
2) FEMA hired three out-of-state property management companies on a $200Million contract to manage these tiny homes.
a) Lima Charlie, based in California shows FEMA paid the company $59,000 between January and May 2024. FEMA then committed to pay up to $420,000 from May through December 2024, but declined to provide specifics or a copy of the contract. FEMA's contract with Lima Charlie in 2024 was $128.3 million.
b) Aesthetic Home Investments, based in North Carolina, specializes in providing timely housing solutions for communities, from fully furnished apartments to group relocations. FEMA's contract with Aesthetic for 2024 was $23.7 million.
c) Florida-based Fedcology/Parliament (Florida-based) provides housing solutions in declared disaster zones across the continental USA and Hawaii. FEMA'S contract for 2024 with Fedcology/Parliament was $46.9 million.
d) A year after the fire, FEMA estimated it spent nearly $400 million overall on housing assistance.
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| US Corps of Engineers cleared the rubble and paved the lots |
As of 21 July 2025:
Lahaina Emergency Housing Village finally nears completion
1) The off-the-grid, 88-unit temporary village that initially was expected to take six months to build now is approaching the two-year mark.
a) Delays and increased costs — including an effort to connect to a permanent water source — have bumped the budget from $14 million to $20 million for the project on a 10-acre property at the corner of Kuihelani Highway and Puʻunēnē Avenue.
b) While the project took longer than anticipated, officials of ʻOhana Hope Village still believe it’s needed, especially with federal emergency housing aid for some survivors set to expire early next year.
c) The village’s first 44 units were completed in the spring with about 120 people from 33 households now living in them. The only unoccupied unit is used as a model to show prospective families or house volunteers, Kelly said.
d) The remaining 44 units are expected to be completed by the end of August, 2025 (if needed materials arrive). Survivors then would be able to move in by the end of September…
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| The New Lahaina Emerges |
2) The Maui News advises: Temporary housing projects continue to grow with many Lahaina wildfire survivors still in need
