FEMA denies aid to Hawaii hurricane families; Florida storm victims get it

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has turned down direct aid for Hawaii residents hit by two hurricanes this year ¹. Hawaii County and Kauai County both confirmed the denials, which leave people with few resources, especially those with little or no insurance ¹.

The money at stake is called individual assistance. It can cover housing for displaced people and home repairs, plus expenses such as child care and medical needs ². It is separate from public assistance, which goes to state and local governments and qualified nonprofits ³.

Hawaii County officials learned of their denial in the week before Oct. 29 ². Trump approved individual assistance for eight Panhandle counties damaged by Hurricane Isaias, according to a report dated Oct. 30 ⁷.

What the two storms did

Hurricane Lala struck Hawaii Island Aug. 14-16. The governor's office counted 267 homes affected, with 29 destroyed and 82 with major damage ¹. A September letter from Hawaii's members of Congress said 217 of the 267 damaged homes were in Hawaii County ⁴.

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Hurricane Lowell hit Kauai Sept. 7-8, affecting 247 homes. Ten were destroyed and 67 had major damage ¹. The storm cut power to more than 33,000 of the local utility's 36,000 accounts ⁴. Gov. Josh Green's early estimate put Kauai's damage above $400 million ⁵.

More than 100 residents are still sheltering in hotels because of damage from Lala, Hawaii Public Radio reported ². In the small town of Naalehu, population just above 800, about 100 burials were unearthed at the cemetery ¹.

We can't just turn our back on people and say it is what it is.

Why FEMA said no

Darryl Oliveira, acting head of Hawaii County Civil Defense, said he was told the number of damaged and destroyed homes "did not hit a threshold that would appear to exceed the capacity to recover at the local level or at the state level" ¹. He also said the threshold itself was murky, according to Hawaii Public Radio ². FEMA did not respond to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser's requests for comment by deadline ¹.

There is no fixed dollar test for this aid. Decisions turn on the number of homes destroyed or badly damaged, along with factors such as income, insurance and whether the home is a primary residence ³.

Hawaii's members of Congress, all Democrats, asked Trump in a September letter to approve individual assistance for both storms ⁴. They argued that the islands could not absorb the damage on their own.

The cumulative impact of these events exceeds the capacity of the State and our counties, warranting federal assistance.

Oliveira has made a similar point about the toll on Hawaii Island. Lala was its third federally declared disaster in eight months, after March flooding from storms known as Kona lows and a May earthquake that damaged more than 200 homes ¹².

Those two earlier disasters did receive individual assistance ³. That record cuts against any simple claim that Hawaii has been shut out. Trump also approved public assistance for both hurricanes, with FEMA covering at least 75% of eligible costs ⁶³.

The appeal clock is running

"So we're going to appeal," Oliveira said ¹. He told Hawaii Public Radio that the state has about three weeks to assemble the case ². The appeal will include information on insurance coverage, household incomes and trauma ¹.

Kauai County is still discussing next steps, including whether to appeal, with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency ¹. That agency will make a recommendation to the governor ¹. There is a precedent: Hawaii's request for individual assistance after the 2018 floods was initially denied, then approved on appeal ³.

Oliveira's interim contract ends in mid-November, so the official leading the county's effort is due to leave as the deadline nears ².

The Florida comparison, and its limits

Isaias made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane ⁷. Florida's state emergency agency lists an Oct. 29 announcement of the individual assistance approval for eight counties and public assistance for 15 counties ⁸. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration made the request for individual assistance ⁷.

The two cases are not the same size. Florida's eight counties had approximately 1,000 homes preliminarily identified as damaged, and more than 62,000 insurance claims had been filed statewide, totaling over $652.2 million ⁷.

No document we reviewed shows that politics drove the Hawaii decision, and no Hawaii official quoted in these reports said it did. But the national numbers explain why people ask.

A Politico analysis found that in Trump's second term, Democratic-led states had 23% of their disaster requests granted, compared with 89% for Republican-led states ¹⁰. Under the previous six administrations, approval rates for states led by either party ran between 70% and 90% ¹⁰.

Trump has also joked about the subject on the campaign trail. Speaking at a North Carolina rally for Republican Michael Whatley about Hurricane Helene funds, he said this ¹¹:

Now if Michael loses, I'm not sending it

He then added, "No, I'm only kidding, you're getting it" ¹¹. A White House spokesperson, responding to questions about the president's disaster decisions, rejected the charge ¹¹.

There is no politicization to the president's decisions on disaster relief

That matters because the decision does not rest with local officials alone. Matthew Wall, resilience branch chief at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said this month that even if the state presents a really good case for individual assistance, "the final decider on whether we get the disaster declaration or not is the president" ³.

The Record

1. Aug 14, 2026Hurricane Lala begins three days of damage in Hawaii, with 267 homes affected, 29 destroyed and 82 badly damaged. ¹
2. Sep 14, 2026Hawaii's four Democratic members of Congress publicize a letter asking Trump to approve individual assistance for Lala and Lowell. ⁴
3. Oct 8, 2026Trump approves two major disaster declarations for Hawaii that cover public assistance, not aid to households. ⁶³
4. Oct 29, 2026Florida announces individual assistance for eight Panhandle counties after Hurricane Isaias, while Hawaii County says it plans to appeal its denial. ⁷²
5. Oct 31, 2026The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that Hawaii County and Kauai County have both confirmed FEMA denied individual assistance. ¹

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<h2>FEMA denies aid to Hawaii hurricane families; Florida storm victims get it</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/fema-denies-aid-to-hawaii-hurricane-families-florida-storm-victims-get-it">The GOP Files</a> on Sunday, November 1, 2026.</em></p> <p>The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, has turned down direct aid for Hawaii residents hit by two hurricanes this year . Hawaii County and Kauai County both confirmed the denials, which leave people with few resources, especially those with little or no insurance .</p> <p>The money at stake is called individual assistance. It can cover housing for displaced people and home repairs, plus expenses such as child care and medical needs . It is separate from public assistance, which goes to state and local governments and qualified nonprofits .</p> <p>Hawaii County officials learned of their denial in the week before Oct. 29 . Trump approved individual assistance for eight Panhandle counties damaged by Hurricane Isaias, according to a report dated Oct. 30 .</p> <h2>What the two storms did</h2> <p>Hurricane Lala struck Hawaii Island Aug. 14-16. The governor&#39;s office counted 267 homes affected, with 29 destroyed and 82 with major damage . A September letter from Hawaii&#39;s members of Congress said 217 of the 267 damaged homes were in Hawaii County .</p> <p>Hurricane Lowell hit Kauai Sept. 7-8, affecting 247 homes. Ten were destroyed and 67 had major damage . The storm cut power to more than 33,000 of the local utility&#39;s 36,000 accounts . Gov. Josh Green&#39;s early estimate put Kauai&#39;s damage above $400 million .</p> <p>More than 100 residents are still sheltering in hotels because of damage from Lala, Hawaii Public Radio reported . In the small town of Naalehu, population just above 800, about 100 burials were unearthed at the cemetery .</p> <blockquote><p>We can&#39;t just turn our back on people and say it is what it is.</p><p>&mdash; Darryl Oliveira, acting administrator, Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency</p></blockquote> <h2>Why FEMA said no</h2> <p>Darryl Oliveira, acting head of Hawaii County Civil Defense, said he was told the number of damaged and destroyed homes &quot;did not hit a threshold that would appear to exceed the capacity to recover at the local level or at the state level&quot; . He also said the threshold itself was murky, according to Hawaii Public Radio . FEMA did not respond to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser&#39;s requests for comment by deadline .</p> <p>There is no fixed dollar test for this aid. Decisions turn on the number of homes destroyed or badly damaged, along with factors such as income, insurance and whether the home is a primary residence .</p> <p>Hawaii&#39;s members of Congress, all Democrats, asked Trump in a September letter to approve individual assistance for both storms . They argued that the islands could not absorb the damage on their own.</p> <blockquote><p>The cumulative impact of these events exceeds the capacity of the State and our counties, warranting federal assistance.</p><p>&mdash; Hawaii congressional delegation, in a joint letter</p></blockquote> <p>Oliveira has made a similar point about the toll on Hawaii Island. Lala was its third federally declared disaster in eight months, after March flooding from storms known as Kona lows and a May earthquake that damaged more than 200 homes .</p> <p>Those two earlier disasters did receive individual assistance . That record cuts against any simple claim that Hawaii has been shut out. Trump also approved public assistance for both hurricanes, with FEMA covering at least 75% of eligible costs .</p> <h2>The appeal clock is running</h2> <p>&quot;So we&#39;re going to appeal,&quot; Oliveira said . He told Hawaii Public Radio that the state has about three weeks to assemble the case . The appeal will include information on insurance coverage, household incomes and trauma .</p> <p>Kauai County is still discussing next steps, including whether to appeal, with the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency . That agency will make a recommendation to the governor . There is a precedent: Hawaii&#39;s request for individual assistance after the 2018 floods was initially denied, then approved on appeal .</p> <p>Oliveira&#39;s interim contract ends in mid-November, so the official leading the county&#39;s effort is due to leave as the deadline nears .</p> <h2>The Florida comparison, and its limits</h2> <p>Isaias made landfall near Destin on Oct. 9 as a Category 2 hurricane . Florida&#39;s state emergency agency lists an Oct. 29 announcement of the individual assistance approval for eight counties and public assistance for 15 counties . Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis&#39;s administration made the request for individual assistance .</p> <p>The two cases are not the same size. Florida&#39;s eight counties had approximately 1,000 homes preliminarily identified as damaged, and more than 62,000 insurance claims had been filed statewide, totaling over $652.2 million .</p> <p>No document we reviewed shows that politics drove the Hawaii decision, and no Hawaii official quoted in these reports said it did. But the national numbers explain why people ask.</p> <p>A Politico analysis found that in Trump&#39;s second term, Democratic-led states had 23% of their disaster requests granted, compared with 89% for Republican-led states . Under the previous six administrations, approval rates for states led by either party ran between 70% and 90% .</p> <p>Trump has also joked about the subject on the campaign trail. Speaking at a North Carolina rally for Republican Michael Whatley about Hurricane Helene funds, he said this :</p> <blockquote><p>Now if Michael loses, I&#39;m not sending it</p><p>&mdash; Donald Trump, president, Republican</p></blockquote> <p>He then added, &quot;No, I&#39;m only kidding, you&#39;re getting it&quot; . A White House spokesperson, responding to questions about the president&#39;s disaster decisions, rejected the charge .</p> <blockquote><p>There is no politicization to the president&#39;s decisions on disaster relief</p><p>&mdash; Lauren Bis, White House spokesperson</p></blockquote> <p>That matters because the decision does not rest with local officials alone. Matthew Wall, resilience branch chief at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, said this month that even if the state presents a really good case for individual assistance, &quot;the final decider on whether we get the disaster declaration or not is the president&quot; .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/fema-denies-aid-to-hawaii-hurricane-families-florida-storm-victims-get-it">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/fema-denies-aid-to-hawaii-hurricane-families-florida-storm-victims-get-it.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “FEMA denies individual aid to hurricane victims” (2026-10-31). staradvertiser.com/2026/10/31/hawaii-news/fema-denies-indivi
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3. The Garden Island, “Federal aid for individuals after Lala, Lowell still pending” (2026-10-16). thegardenisland.com/2026/10/16/hawaii-news/federal-aid-for-i
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8. Florida Division of Emergency Management, “Hurricane Isaias disaster updates” (2026-10-29). floridadisaster.org/disaster-updates/hurricane-isaias/
9. CiberCuba, “Florida obtains disaster declaration for Isaias: What assistance has been approved and what is still pending” (2026-10-28). en.cibercuba.com/noticias/2026-10-29-u1-e208574-s27061-nid34
10. Capitol News Illinois, “Trump administration denies Illinois' request for disaster relief — again” (2026-10-08). capitolnewsillinois.com/news/trump-administration-denies-ill
11. AP via News4Jax, “Disaster relief funding is creeping into Trump's midterm rhetoric. Critics say it has no place there” (2026-10-07). news4jax.com/news/politics/2026/10/07/disaster-relief-fundin
12. Wikipedia, “Ron DeSantis” (2026-11-01). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_DeSantis

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