In Hawaii, a miraculously surviving home offers some hope – National & International News – MON 21Aug2023

850 still missing in Hawaii, but a miraculously surviving home offers some hope.

Tropical Storm Hilary hits California, other Southwestern states.

China’s economic woes deepen. 

NATIONAL NEWS

850 still missing in Hawaii, but a miraculously surviving home offers some hope

Last week, officials on Maui said that over 1300 people remained unaccounted for after wildfires killed at least 114. According to the mayor, that figure has dropped to 850. The number has gone down as some have been able to locate loved ones previously believed to be lost. Loss of electricity and communications as well as travel restrictions prevented people from checking in with family members, and prevented family members from searching hospitals for survivors.

Recovery of the dead continues in Lahaina and will for weeks or months. The work is slow and painstaking as remains are fragmentary due to the intensity of the fire. Hawaii’s governor has also warned that many children may be among the dead. 

President Biden and the First Lady are expected to visit the area today. There they will survey the destruction and talk to local officials, rescue workers and survivors. One of the messages Biden wants to convey is that those who have lost their homes will retain control in the rebuilding. The state’s governor conveyed a similar message. Fears have arisen that developers may opportunistically seize land destroyed by the fire. Devastated and displaced homeowners have already gotten calls from developers hoping to buy up their land. 

Historic home miraculously still standing after fire

There’s one story making the rounds that may offer some hope that Lahaina can be rebuilt in a way that’s consistent with its historic character. An image of a red-roofed home has gone viral, with even its owners mystified as to how it is still standing and apparently unscathed.

“It looks like it was photoshopped in,” homeowner Trip Millikin said of an image of the house surrounded by devastation. Millikin and his wife Dora have lived on Maui for over a decade and were away on a business trip when the fires happened. The Millikins bought the dilapidated historic home, which used to belong to a bookkeeper for a sugar plantation, in 2021. The couple then set about restoring it, doing much of the work themselves with the help of friends and neighbors.

Millikin says he and his wife were overcome with guilt seeing their home untouched while their neighbors’ homes were destroyed. But the couple hopes to channel their guilt into something positive. When they can eventually return to the island, they want to use their home as a base where friends and neighbors can start rebuilding their own homes.

One thing that will be key to that rebuilding effort will be understanding what spared the house. One factor was certainly replacing the old asphalt roof with high-grade metal. Clearing flammable vegetation from near the house would also have played a role. Michael Wara of Stanford Wood Institute for the Environment said that the Millikins’ decision to dig out the existing landscaping directly surrounding the house and replace it with river stones probably made the most difference. The Millikins said they placed the river stones to aid in drainage in the storm and flood-prone area rather than as a fire resistance measure.

Tropical Storm Hilary hits California, other Southwestern states

Southern California and other Western states have seen torrential rainfall and flash flooding from Tropical Storm Hilary. This is the first time in 84 years that a tropical storm has made landfall in Southern California. Some areas of California received nearly as much rain in a day as they usually have in an entire year. Hilary first made landfall yesterday in Baja California, Mexico, on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, Southern California also experienced a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, centered in Ojai, CA, about 80 miles from Los Angeles. There were no initial reports of damage from the earthquake.

LA County Schools, the nation’s second-largest school district, announced yesterday that all schools would be closed today. Officials encouraged residents to stay home. But there were some dramatic rescues from rushing rivers and landslides. Drought-stricken or desert areas are particularly vulnerable to flash flooding.

Damage reports are not out yet and no casualties have yet been reported. This may change through the day as damage assessments get underway. 

The rain and clouds in much of the Southwest are expected to give way to sunny skies this afternoon. The remnants of the storm are continuing on a northeast trajectory, threatening parts of Oregon, Utah and Idaho.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

China’s economic woes continue as Xi travels to international summit

China’s central bank has cut its one-year loan interest rate in an effort to halt a freefall in progress in its all-important property and development sector. Two major development firms, Evergrande and Country Garden, have posted heavy losses under the burden of billions in debt. Their troubles have shaken confidence throughout the entire development sector, which has been a key player in China’s economic growth in recent decades. A major finance firm, Zhongrong Trust, has also raised concerns after failing to pay down some of its own obligations.

While the central bank move today was expected, some economists were surprised that Beijing didn’t cut their 5-year loan interest. Some analysts fear that Beijing is moving too slowly and too timidly to hold off a deeper economic catastrophe. In addition to the construction woes, China is also experiencing steep deflation, a drop in prices and demand for domestic goods. This is partially because of price wars in some sectors, as well as stagnant wages. Youth unemployment is also so high that Beijing has stopped publishing the figures.

Amid all this turmoil at home, China’s leader Xi Jinping is in South Africa for a BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) summit. BRICS has become an increasingly important player in the world stage. The bloc’s objective is to unite and consolidate the influence of developing and emerging economies, known collectively as the “Global South”. BRICS has become a major vehicle for China to spread its influence and find economic partners abroad as its relationships with Western trading partners like the US have become increasingly strained.

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