The family of a disabled man prays for good news after he sent them a photo of Maui’s raging wildfires and then disappeared.
Timm “TK” Williams Sr., 66, told relatives that he was trying to flee his home in Kaanapali, three miles north of downtown Lahaina, the hardest-hit area.
He sent them a photo at 4pm on Wednesday and has not been heard from since. Shocking drone footage captured Thursday showed the burned-out shell of Lahaina, where many buildings dated to the 19th century.
“If you know my grandfather or have any connections to Hawaii, please like and share,” Brittany Talley wrote on Facebook.
“Please help us find my grandpa.” His name is Timm (TK) Williams. He was last known to be driving away from the Kaanapali area and taking shelter in a white SUV.”
Timm “TK” Williams, 66, was last heard from Wednesday at 4 p.m. trying to reach an emergency shelter on Maui
Williams uses a wheelchair and crutches, and his granddaughter Brittany Talley begs for help finding him
Talley told CNN that he is using a wheelchair and crutches and is trying to get to shelter.
“He tried to get to an emergency shelter, but all roads were blocked,” she said.
“He wouldn’t be able to run or move quickly if he needed to.”
On Thursday evening, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said all communications with western Maui remained cut and that emergency services could only communicate via satellite phones.
Talley said they desperately hoped he made it to a shelter and just weren’t able to tell them he was safe.
However, they feared the worst, she added.
“It was difficult,” she said.
“Every minute that goes by is another minute he could be hurt (or) in danger.”
Green said the death toll was 53 but rising, and confirmed 1,000 people remained missing – including Williams.
The governor stressed that he was not saying that 1,000 people were dead, but that they were no longer in contact.
On Thursday, people can be seen wandering the ruins of Lahaina, which was devastated by wildfires Tuesday night into Wednesday
The ruins of Lahaina can be seen Thursday after wildfire devastated the historic town
A man assessed the damage on Thursday and filmed the devastation with his cell phone
Smoke from the fires billows over Lahaina Thursday
Asked Thursday night about the death toll, Green said, “Honestly, we don’t know.”
“And here lies the challenge: there is no electricity, no internet, no telephone, no radio. They exacerbate some of it. So when we talk to our officers, they need to get a satellite phone.
“There are about 1,000 missing.”
“That doesn’t mean that many have died – I’m not saying that at all – but because we can’t contact them, we can’t know.”
Green said cadaver dogs were brought in from California and Washington to aid in the search.
“We set up a family support center so anyone who is missing someone can go there and give their details,” he said.
“If we can bring people back together, we will do so and provide notifications as needed.”
Green said the destruction in the historic town of Lahaina, most of which was leveled, was hard to believe.
Hawaii is experiencing a drought that has provided plenty of fuel for the fire: Tailwinds from Hurricane Dora generated gusts at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour, meaning there was little warning for many as the fire raged to their doorstep.
“It’s undoubtedly a heartbreaking day,” Green said.
“What we saw today is catastrophic.”
“We will all have a loved one here on Maui who has lost a home or a friend.”‘
Green urged residents of Maui and other islands to open their doors to accommodate those who lost their homes and asked hotels to help provide 2,000 rooms as well.
“If you have extra space and the capacity to accommodate someone, please do so,” Green said.
“Please include these people in your life.”
He said the recovery process will be lengthy, slow and painful, but thanked federal authorities for their quick response.
He said the damage would be in the billions of dollars but it was too early to worry about buildings when people were still missing.
“It’s going to be billions of dollars without a doubt,” he said.
“But first we need to focus on the lives lost.” It will take time. Many years to rebuild Lahaina.
“When you see the full extent, it will shock you.”
Josh Green, the governor of Hawaii, said Thursday night the damage was unprecedented
Green said the devastation pictured Thursday was the worst in the state of Hawaii’s history
An aerial view of Lahaina taken Thursday. People fled into the sea and drowned
Charred debris from a home in Lahaina was sighted on Wednesday
Failed power cords made evacuations dangerous, officials said
An eerie image released Thursday shows the smoldering ruins of the city of Lahaina
A boat is left adrift in Lahaina, and the harbor and dock are destroyed
He described the devastation as unprecedented and said Hawaii had not seen anything like it since becoming the 50th state in 1959.
“We’ve never seen a forest fire hit a city before,” he said.
“We had forest fires, but not in urban areas.”
“I think we’re seeing that for the first time in many different parts of the world.”
He said it’s what happens when “global warming comes with drought.”
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said his officers were unprepared to go from building to building looking for bodies in an unsafe environment, stressing the job had to be done with care.
“We don’t normally go into buildings and take out bodies,” he said.
“We have to take it slow and methodically so that we respect everything and put people to rest in the right way.”
When asked about the death toll, he said, “It’s 53, and the number is increasing.” I don’t know what the final figure will be.
‘It’s incredible. And it will be devastating.’
Pelletier said the community was coming together and described her as “Maui Strong.”
“We have a scar on Maui’s face that will remain for a very long time,” he said.
“We know scars heal, but they always remain.”
“We need patience, prayers and perseverance.”
Jeff Hickman, chief of public affairs for the Hawaii Department of Defense, said there were 30 burn victims, three of them seriously injured.
“We have to go building by building, block by block, trying to find bodies,” he said.
Then it is cleaned up first, then the residents are allowed to return.
“It will be a long process.”
He said they were trying to “get the visitors out and take care of the residents.”
He added, “Everyone goes to Lahaina.” There was the best Halloween party ever. There was the best fishing. Tourists flock there because it’s a nice city. I’m sure it will bounce back, but it will take a while.’
Hickman, a former member of the National Guard, said, “We never thought it would happen and we’ve never seen anything like it.”
‘It’s just stunning. It’s something we’ve never seen and never expected.”
Burned-out cars were spotted in Lahaina on Wednesday
Destroyed parts of Lahaina are pictured Wednesday
A man walks through the smoldering ruins of Lahaina on Wednesday
Burnt out cars are seen after the fires ravaged parts of Maui
The cause of the forest fire is still unknown.
The National Weather Service said dry vegetation, strong winds and low humidity fueled them.
Green said it would likely be a worse natural disaster than the May 1960 tsunami, which was triggered by an earthquake in Chile.
This tragedy killed 61 people.
Even Hawaii is not immune to wildfires: In 2018, a total of 30,000 hectares of land burned down, with the flames being fanned by Hurricane Lane.
This time strong winds were caused by Hurricane Dora passing south of the islands.
According to Thomas Smith, professor of environmental geography at the London School of Economics and Political Science, wildfires happen in Hawaii every year – but this year the fires are burning faster and bigger than usual.
A member of the Hawaii Army National Guard looks out the window as a CH47 Chinook performs an aerial bucket drop on the island of Maui on Wednesday
People watch the wildfires raging across Lahaina on Tuesday
Much of Lahaina was burned to the ground in the fires that broke out overnight Tuesday
The fire quickly spread through the tinderbox-dried grass and quickly engulfed the frame homes of Lahaina
On Wednesday, the morning after the fire, locals are seen walking around Lahaina
Neighborhoods and businesses were leveled, and vehicles burned on the west side of the island as the wildfires cut most roads out of Lahaina.
The city is one of Maui’s top attractions, attracting two million tourists each year, about 80 percent of the island’s visitors.
The wildfires caught most Lahaina residents and visitors by surprise when they broke out late Tuesday, forcing some to run for their lives and jump into the ocean to escape the fast-paced inferno.
Nicoangelo Knickerbocker, a 21-year-old Lahaina resident, had just awoken from a nap Tuesday night when he saw the fires blazing in his hometown.
His mother and sister fled while he and some friends went to neighbors’ houses, helping people pack their belongings and trying in vain to contain the flames with garden hoses.
“It was so hot around me I felt like my shirt was about to catch fire,” he told the AP from one of the four shelters that opened on the island.
More than 2,100 people are being housed in the shelters, according to Hawaii News Now.
Knickerbocker heard cars and a gas station explode, and shortly thereafter fled town with his father, bringing only the clothes they were wearing and the family dog.
“It sounded like a war was going on,” he said.
At least 20 people suffered severe burns and several were flown to Oahu for medical treatment, said Ed Sniffen of the Hawaii Department of Transportation.
More than 11,000 visitors were evacuated from Maui.
People gather at Kahului Airport on Wednesday while waiting for flights
Crowds wait to board their flight from Kahului Airport on Wednesday
Hawaii’s “unprecedented” wildfires destroyed a historic town and killed dozens after a hurricane struck hundreds of miles from the islands combined with dry conditions
Smoke billows near Lahaina as wildfires caused by high winds destroy much of the historic town of Lahaina
The hall of Lahaina’s historic Waiola Church and the nearby Lahaina Hongwanji Mission are ablaze Tuesday along Wainee Street
Although at least 16 roads are closed, airport operations are fully operational, he said.
Most of the approximately 400 evacuees housed in the War Memorial accommodation Thursday morning arrived in shock and “blank-eyed,” said Dr. Gerald Tariao Montano, a pediatrician who volunteered for a six-hour shift Wednesday night.
“Some didn’t quite realize that they lost everything,” he said.
He asked for donations of clothing, supplies, food, baby formula and diapers.
The fate of some of Lahaina’s cultural treasures remains unclear.
The historic 60 foot tall banyan tree that marked the spot where Hawaiian King Kamehameha III’s palace was built. Dating from the 19th century, it was still standing, although some of its branches appeared to be charred, according to a Portal witness.
Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration for Hawaii that will allow affected individuals and business owners to apply for federal housing and economic recovery grants, the White House said in a statement.