Tag: Plagued

In Hawaii, Paradise Plagued by Disaster
Travel

In Hawaii, Paradise Plagued by Disaster

The beaches near the Kahului Airport on the Hawaiian island of Maui remain idyllic; their golden sandy shorelines slip beneath the turquoise surf as it rolls in, and palm trees still sway in the breeze.But drive a half-hour west and the landscape looks much different. The historic seaside town of Lahaina, once home to 13,000 people, was mostly reduced to smoke and ash when the country’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century tore through the area last week. Now, residents must dig through piles of debris and bird carcasses to try to recover the belongings they left behind when they fled.So far, at least 99 people are confirmed dead. The death toll is expected to rise this week as rescuers reach more remote corners of the island.“Coming into awful situations, you have to turn off your e...