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Federal Resources for Hawaii Families Impacted by Natural Disasters

The Counties of Kauai, Honolulu, and Hawaii have received federal disaster declarations due to the flooding and Kilauea lava flow. Links to these declarations and disaster-related programs are provided below, as well as a list of federal, state, and county resources, lava flow updates, information on emergency shelters and services, mental health care support, mortgage assistance, as well as how to replace legal documents, and report lost credit cards.

If you need assistance with a federal agency, please contact my state office at 808-522-8970, toll free at 844-478-3478, or hawaiioffice@hirono.senate.gov.

Federal Individual Assistance - Updated June 27, 2018

Information on registering for Individual Assistance can be found here and a fact sheet to learn more about available resources can be found here. 

Kauai and Oahu areas affected by the April 13-16, 2018 flooding event have been approved for Individual Assistance by FEMA. Kauai residents impacted by flooding can register for assistance at the Disaster Recovery Centers located at Hanalei Elementary, Koloa Elementary, and Kapaa Elementary, and Oahu residents can register at Aina Haina Elementary or Keolu Elementary. More information about locations and hours can be found online, here.

Kauai Residents: contact the Kauai Emergency Management Agency
Tel 808-241-1800

Hawaii County was deemed eligible for Individual Assistance on June 14, 2018.. Hawaii Island residents impacted by the lava flow are encouraged to register for Individual Assistance in person at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center located at the Keaau High School Gymnasium. The Center is open daily from 8am to 8pm.

Hawaii Island Residents: contact the Hawaii County Civil Defense
Call Center 808-935-0031

Primary Contacts for Disaster Updates, Resources, and Assistance

Beware of Scams

During times of crisis, there is an increased risk of scams and fraud. Protect yourself by asking questions, reading the materials provided to you, and avoiding any solicitations requiring up-front cash payments.If you think you may have been a victim of a scam, contact:
U.S. Department of Justice Disaster Fraud Hotline
Tel 866-720-5721, Email disaster@leo.gov

Hawaii Island Emergency Shelters & Services

  • Pet-friendly shelters on Hawaii Island are located at:
    Pahoa Community Center, 15-3022 Kauhale St
    Keaau Armory, behind Herbert Shipman Park off of Hwy 11
  • Recovery Information and Assistance Center is located at the Pahoa Community Center
  • Pahoa Community Pool is a hygiene center for evacuees
  • Puuhonua O Puna provides information and supplies for evacuees; located at the intersection near Pahoa High School
  • The U.S. Post Office in Pahoa will be open on Sundays from 10:00am to 2:00pm

Kauai & Oahu Flood Recovery

Mental Health Care

  • Disaster Distress Helpline - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7 multilingual and confidential crisis support counseling to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
    Call 1-800-985-5990, TTY 1-800-846-8517
    Text: TalkWithUs to 66746
    Spanish-speakers text: Hablanos to 66746
  • Crisis Line of Hawaii is available for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis 24/7
    Hawaii Island residents call 1-800-753-6879

Veterans

  • Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) - The Veterans Affairs Pacific Island Health Care System’s CBOCs are open for veterans with a scheduled appointment or as a walk-in.
    • Hilo CBOC – open daily, 7:30am to 4:00pm, 1285 Waianuenue Ave, #211, tel 1-800-214-1306
    • Lihue CBOC – open Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm, 4485 Pahee St, tel 808-246-0497
  • Disabled American Veterans Disaster Relief Program – provides disaster supply kits to ill, injured or wounded veterans or their surviving spouse who are in immediate need of financial assistance at the time of the disaster.
    https://www.dav.org/veterans/outreach-programs/disaster-relief/
    Call 808-433-0490

Federal Agencies:

Federal Emergency Management Agency (@FEMA): 

Disaster Declaration Process https://www.fema.gov/disaster-declaration-process

Not all FEMA disaster assistance programs are activated for every disaster. The determination of which programs are authorized is based on many factors as explained in the FEMA link above. Currently, federal major disaster declarations allowing for the full range of FEMA’s disaster assistance programs have been made available for counties affected by the April, 2018 flood event and the ongoing volcanic activity on Hawaii Island.   

Individuals living in affected areas on Kauai, Oahu, or Hawaii Island may register for FEMA’s Individual Assistance programs online at: disasterassistance.gov, or in person at Disaster Recovery Centers located at:

  • Kauai:
    • Hanalei Elementary
    • Koloa Elementary
    • Kapaa Elementary 

Addresses and hours can be found here.

  • Oahu:
    • Aina Haina Elementary
    • Keolu Elementary

Addresses and hours can be found here.

  • Hawaii Island: 
    • Keeau High School Gymnasium

Address and hours can be found here. 

Federal Housing Finance Agency

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

  • The Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center is operated by NOAA and has been monitoring volcanic eruption activity at Kilauea, notifying the Federal Aviation Administration when ash events could impact flights around the volcano. The National Weather Service (NWS) within NOAA is also responsible for providing forecasts and weather information—data that are important for planning for volcanic gas emissions (vog) and ashfall in surrounding communities. More information on ash advisories and weather forecasts can be found below in the Hawaii Island Lava Flow Observation and Preparation section.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • The USDA has designated Kauai and Honolulu counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas. Qualified farm operators in these areas are eligible to receive emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided certain eligibility requirements are met. For more information about how to apply for these loans contact the FSA Honolulu County Office at 808-861-8538 or FSA Kauai County Office at 808-245-9014 extension 2 for an appointment. You can also visit their website for more information at www.fsa.usda.gov/hi.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • The EPA, as part of the FEMA response to the Kilauea eruption, is coordinating with both the Hawaii Department of Health and Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, as well as other partners at Emergency Operations Centers, to conduct air quality monitoring in communities impacted by the eruption. Volcanic gas emissions, including sulfur dioxide and hydrogen sulfide, are being monitored for public health and safety. Links to their website for more information on volcanoes and Kilauea air quality data can be found below in the Hawaii Island Lava Flow Observation and Preparation section.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

  • The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is responsible for monitoring earthquakes and volcanoes in Hawaii and is continuously monitoring the Kilauea eruption in coordination with Hawaii County Civil Defense. Updates on volcanic activity, as well as information on ashfall and volcanic gas hazards can be found below in the Hawaii Island Lava Flow Observation and Preparation section.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

  • A federal disaster declaration for individual assistance to homeowners and businesses on Kauai and Oahu has not been approved, but certain Kauai businesses needing working capital loans may be eligible for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan assistance. The deadline to file applications for SBA disaster loan assistance is January 3, 2019. More information on the program can be downloaded here.

Hawaii Island Lava Flow Observation and Other Resources:

For updated messages and alerts from Hawaii County Civil Defense, visit http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts.

For up to date information on volcanic activity, visit the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/ or call 808-967-8862 to receive a summary by phone. Follow them on Twitter at https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes.

For updated news and emergency information by county, visit the Federal Emergency Mangagement Agency (FEMA) website at https://www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-grant-program or downoad the FEMA app on your mobile device. 

More information about the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) can be found online at http://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/.

For updated weather information, visit the National Weather Service’s Forecast Office in Honolulu’s website at http://www.prh.noaa.gov/pr/hnl/.  

More information about how to prepare for and respond to a volcanic eruption can be found online at https://www.ready.gov/volcanoes or https://www.epa.gov/natural-disasters/volcanoes.

Information about vog can be found online at http://www.ivhhn.org/vog/.

Information about volcanic ash hazards and preparedness can be found at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanic_ash/ or http://www.ivhhn.org/ash-protection.

Information and updates from Hawaii Electric Light for customers affected by volcanic activity can be found here: https://www.hawaiielectriclight.com/safety-and-outages/lava-eruption-updates.

Information on impacts of volcanic emissions on human, plant, and animal health as well as water quality and soil can be found by visiting https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ER.

Information on the status of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park can be found at: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Information about the American Red Cross - Hawaii Chapter can be found at http://www.redcross.org or call 808-734-2101.

Information on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance can be found here: https://www.usda.gov/topics/disaster.

Information on U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Disaster Assistance can be found here: https://www.sba.gov/offices/headquarters/oda.

Information about the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) disaster resources can be found here:https://www.hud.gov/info/disasterresources.

Replacing Documents:

Federal:

Federal Tax Returns: Call 1-800-829-1040 or click here. To make an appointment with the IRS’s Tax Payer Assistance Center in Hilo (appointment required), call: 844-545-5640. To contact the IRS Taxpayer Advocate’s Office in Honolulu, call: 808-566-2950.

Immigration Certificates or Green Cards: USCIS will assist those directly affected by an emergency situation with the replacement of any USCIS issued document as quickly as possible.  Requests for scheduling/re-scheduling of InfoPass and other interview appointments in Honolulu will also be accommodated.  Such requests should include an explanation of the circumstances and any supporting evidence, such as copies of government issued evacuation notices, etc. Additional information is available on the USCIS website at  https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/replace-green-card. You can also call them, here: 1-800-375-5283.

  • Hawaii Island residents can also call the County of Hawaii Immigration Office, at: 808-961-8220. To meet with a representative at the USCIS Honolulu Field Office, make an INFOPASS appointment online at https://my.uscis.gov/appointment.

Medicare Cards: Call 1-800-772-1213 or click here.

Military Service Records: Call 866-272-6272 or click here.

Passport: Call 202-955-0430 or 877-487-2778 or click here.

Social Security Card: Call 1-800-772-1213 or click here. 

  • Hawaii Island residents can also visit the Hilo Social Security office at Prince Kunio Plaza (111 East Puainako Street), or use the Social Security Administration’s Video Delivery Service at the West Hawaii Civic Center (74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway / Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740) on the second and fourth Thursday of each month, between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. 

State:

Business Documents: Following a natural disaster, local Small Business Development Centers can provide business counseling services and technical assistance for businessowners. More information about an SBDC located near you can be found here.

  • Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
    Kona Center at 73-970 Makako Bay Dr, #108, tel 808-333-5000
    Hilo Center at 100 Pauahi St, #109, tel 808-933-0776

Electronic Benefit Transfer Cards (SNAP/TANF): More information about EBT cards, including information about how to replace lost or damaged cards, can be found online at http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/snap/ebt/. You can also call the Hawaii Department of Human Services, here: 888-328-4292. (EBT benefits can also be accessed online at https://www.ebtaccount.jpmorgan.com/chp).

  • Evacuees can visit the Hawaii State DHS South Hilo Processing Center at the Kinoole Plaza, 1900 Kinoole St #108
    http://humanservices.hawaii.gov/bessd/snap/ebt/
    https://www.ebtaccount.jpmorgan.com/chp
    Tel 808-981-2754 or 1-888-328-4292

Vital Records - Birth, Death, Civil Union, Marriage, and Divorce Certificates: The Hawaii State Department of Health can provide more information about how to replace lost or damaged certificates http://health.hawaii.gov/vitalrecords or https://vitrec.ehawaii.gov/vitalrecords/. You can also call them at 808-586-4539.

State Tax Returns: Call 808-587-1791, fax 808-587-1560 or email taxpayer.advocate@hawaii.gov.

County:

Driver's Licenses: County specific information about replacing drivers licenses can be found on the following websites:

State ID: County specific information can be found online at http://hidot.hawaii.gov/hawaiistateid/ or you can call the following offices:

  • County of Hawaii: Hilo, 349 Kapiolani St, tel 808-961-2222
  • County of Kauai: Lihue, 4444 Rice St, A-480, tel 808-241-4242

Credit Cards and Reports:

Credit Cards: Contact your issuing institution: American Express (800-992-3404), Discover (800-347-2683), MasterCard (800-622-7747), or Visa (800-847-2911). 

Credit Reports: Contact Equifax, Experian, or Transunion at 877-322-8228 or visit http://www.annualcreditreport.com/.   

Fraud Alerts or a Credit Freeze: Call 877-438-4338 or click here.

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