As the grim search for missing people continues in Maui, scrutiny is growing over the emergency alert system that failed to warn thousands about the fire headed their way last week.
One woman who spoke with NBC Bay Area said that the only warning she got was from the sound of home fire alarms going off on her street.
Hundreds of other residents have complained about the lack of audible sirens and warnings about the fire, giving them little time to evacuate.
On Sunday, Hawaii’s Gov. Josh Green said he has asked the state’s attorney general for a comprehensive review of the emergency system.
“We will know soon whether or not they did enough to get those sirens going,” Green said. “But there was a massive destruction of telecommunications. Otherwise, we ourselves would’ve communicated with each other, like we always do, within seconds on our cell phones.”
Annelise Cochran, a Lahaina resident, said she jumped over the seawall into the ocean and clung to a wall for seven hours to escape the flames. She also tried to help her elderly neighbor, though he didn’t survive.
Cochran said they had no warning the fire, traveling a mile a minute, was headed their way.
“I am incredibly frustrated. I know that the projected reason why it didn’t work was because there was no power. But it’s an emergency system and frequently in emergencies the power goes down so to rely on this system is negligent,” said Cochran. “I feel like this is a misstep and if anyone has the same system in the U.S., they need to fix it immediately.”
President Biden has approved a disaster declaration for the area.
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At the same time, tourists are urged to avoid Maui as hotels prepare to take in evacuees and first responders. Green said 500 hotel rooms will be set aside for workers from the Federal Emergency Management Administration.
