US President Joe Biden’s duty as consoler in chief will be put to the test as he visits Maui, nearly two weeks after wildfires swept through the Hawaiian island and killed more than 110 people.
Mr Biden paused his holiday in Lake Tahoe to fly from Reno, Nevada, to Maui, where he and first lady Jill Biden will take a helicopter tour of the burned-out areas.
They will then visit the devastated city of Lahaina to see the wildfire damage firsthand, talk with survivors, receive a briefing from state and local officials and deliver remarks.
“It’s going to be an emotional day for everyone,” White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One.
Ms Dalton said Mr Biden will make clear on Monday (local time) that he has been concerned about the victims since day one and “intends for his administration to be there for as long as it takes”.
Mr Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, has been criticised by some Republicans and others for his initial response to the Maui fires.
Mr Biden said on August 10 he would expand federal aid to Hawaii and promised help to anyone who needed it.
He went several days without speaking about the tragedy while holidaying at his Delaware beach house.
Deanna Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said she has provided Biden with routine updates and he is “satisfied” with the administration’s response.
The wind-whipped firestorm that raged through Lahaina in west Maui on August 8 killed at least 114 people and the death toll that is still mounting.
The number of people officially believed missing is now 850, down from more than 2000, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said overnight on Facebook.
The White House says Mr Biden has been leading a “whole of government” effort to help Hawaii recover, and Ms Dalton told reporters he approved a Hawaii disaster declaration within about an hour of receiving it.
Mr Biden himself said he did not want to travel to Maui until he was assured he would not interfere with emergency response efforts.
Maui presents a special challenge as the remains of some of the victims are still being recovered from burned-out buildings.
Ms Criswell said about 85 per cent of the disaster area has been searched but the remainder includes large, multi-unit buildings that could take some time.
She said the administration is working with the state to find new schools for children and combat real estate predators.
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