Office of the Governor — News Release — State of Hawai‘i Responds to Kona Low Impacts, Launches Kona Low Interim Disaster Case Management Program

STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

STATE OF HAWAI'I RESPONDS TO KONA LOW IMPACTS, LAUNCHES KONA LOW INTERIM DISASTER CASE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2026

HONOLULU - Governor Josh Green and the Hawai'i Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) today announced the launch of a statewide interim Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP) for residents impacted by the Kona Low weather events.

Disaster Case Management Programs connect survivors of disasters with specially trained case managers to help assess and address their needs by developing a disaster recovery plan. Disaster Case Managers (DCMs) provide guidance and refer survivors to available resources. The state of Hawai'i is moving quickly to respond to the impact of the recent Kona Low storms to ensure that residents get the support they need now, while we wait to determine federal funding eligibility.

Residents impacted by the Kona Low disaster can reach out to the interim DCMP by calling 211 to begin the enrollment process. They will be connected with a DCM to assess their needs and begin providing disaster recovery services. DCMs will ensure language access services are available.

This interim DCMP is launched in close coordination and partnership with all the counties to ensure a cohesive and trauma-informed disaster response for our residents. It is funded collaboratively by the state, counties and the Hawai'i Community Foundation for 90 days - and will provide up to 40 dedicated case managers to support households in need. HIEMA is the lead state agency for the program and leadership from the existing 2023 Maui wildfires DCMP will support HIEMA and expedite services.

HIEMA has selected Global Empowerment Mission as the lead organization for the interim DCMP and will coordinate and support the selected community-based organizations (CBOs) in each county to deliver services. The initial launch of the program will bring immediate disaster case management services to residents on Oʻahu and across Maui County, with additional services on Kauaʻi and the Island of Hawaiʻi expected to commence soon.

Through this collaborative model, local CBO partners will train and deploy specialized DCMs to ensure survivors can access critical resources, including housing support, financial assistance and damage assessments. Current participating CBOs include: Aloha United Way 211, Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi, Aloha House and Our Kūpuna. As the program expands, additional CBOs will join to ensure statewide services in the coming days.

"My administration is committed to helping those who have been impacted by all disasters, including the recent Kona Low weather events," said Governor Green. "As we learned in the wake of the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, connecting people affected with the services and support they need quickly, is an essential part of recovery. We are proud to have built local capacity to enable us to launch this statewide interim Disaster Case Management Program less than two weeks after this Kona Low disaster - and to bring swift assistance to those that need it most. It will help ensure everyone affected has access to the incredible teams at HIEMA and our local partners. Mahalo to everyone involved for their swift and essential work. I look forward to seeing their efforts make an immediate impact across our state."

"Disaster Case Management Programs are a fast, efficient way to get services to people in need," said HIEMA Administrator Col. James Barros. "We have leveraged this kind of program successfully before and know that our team at HIEMA, with support from our colleagues at the Department of Human Services (DHS), will make a significant difference. We're deploying teams on the ground across all counties as rapidly as possible. Thank you to our partners and to the communities putting their trust in us."

"The recent Kona Low weather events have devastated parts of Maui County - and our communities need help," said Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen. "The interim Disaster Case Management Program will be a lifeline to people in need. Thank you to Governor Green for his prioritization of this kind of support and to all our partners in standing this program up so quickly. Recovery is a long, difficult process and we are grateful to be able to launch this program today, ensuring our residents can get the services and support they need."

"The residents impacted by the Kona Low weather events need our help and we are proud to partner with HIEMA and our trusted CBOs to launch this support so quickly following this disaster," said DHS Deputy Director Trista Speer. "Our dedicated DCMP team at DHS, along with our community partners, are committed to assisting HIEMA implement this interim program as quickly and effectively as possible. We are grateful to the Governor for his leadership and thankful to be in a position to help our communities through our continued collaboration."

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