Maui Recovers

By TRG Advisors on August 6, 2024

*Featured artwork by Maui Artist, Jim Kingwell.

As we approach the anniversary of the August 8th, 2023 fires, which brought unprecedented devastation to our Maui community, The Rand Group would like to take a moment to reflect on the incredible support we’ve received and the ongoing efforts to aid our recovery. We are deeply grateful to our clients, industry partners, and friends who responded with generosity and compassion.

The fires that struck Maui on August 8th ravaged our island, destroying over 2,000 structures in Lahaina and Kula, and displacing more than 12,000 individuals across 7,111 households. The impact was profound, and the recovery process has indeed been a marathon, as the saying goes, “Disaster response begins as a sprint and then settles into a marathon.”

Initial Response and Immediate Actions

The immediate response on August 8th was critical: rescuing residents, ensuring access to shelters and sourcing essential supplies. Our community sprang into action, with individuals, neighbors, friends, and local organizations stepping up to meet the urgent needs.

Grassroots leaders mobilized swiftly through phone calls and social media, while local county governments coordinated volunteers to staff shelters and deliver supplies to affected areas.

Our team immediately connected with these grassroots efforts to determine how best we could contribute.

The Rand Group worked tirelessly to support both our impacted clients and the local community. We began by addressing immediate needs— helping clients and friends find temporary housing, securing essential supplies for the shelters island-wide, purchasing specific items as shelters reported specific requests and coordinating supply shipments.  Our staff and their families volunteered sourcing supplies, staffing distribution centers, transporting supplies to isolated communities near the burn zone, and our office even served as a supply hub for residents who were relocated to South Maui.

Ongoing Recovery and Adaptation

As the weeks progressed, the needs of the displaced evolved.  The Rand Group adapted our efforts accordingly, continuing to support the community through various initiatives:

Emergency Shelter Supplies: Sourcing and donating crucial items. Malama Bags filled with household essential items.

Volunteer Support: Lending staff to community service organizations. Food and supply distribution centers. Pictured is our Client Service Manager, Kimber, with her husband, Denny.

Supply Coordination: Acting as a hub for the collection and distribution of resources. Pictured is Joel’s son, Jordy, with the 2,000 pillows we received.

Non-Profit Donations: Contributing and coordinating monetary and material donations to local non-profits from our industry partners. We thank you for your generous response!

Service Event: As the needs of our community were being addressed, The Rand Group added fire prevention to our Fire Recovery efforts. We partnered with local organizations to identify and obtain native plant seedlings critical to Maui’s fire recovery and reforestation efforts. We hosted a client event to pot and nurture these plants until they can be planted in affected areas and welcomed a representative from Hawai’i Land Trust to offer insight into the importance of using native plants in reforestation. We are currently fostering 60 plants for the Lahaiana and Kula communities.

Current Status of Recovery

Lahaina: Debris cleanup is underway for over 2,000 parcels. Currently, 21 teams are working seven days a week and teams have cleared 1,372 residential parcels.

Kula: Teams have completed clearing all 26 properties impacted by the upcountry portion of the wildfire.

Thank you once again to everyone who has supported our community through this challenging time. Your generosity and commitment are helping Maui rebuild and heal.