U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) today announced that Hawai‘i County will receive $1,195,089.75 in new federal funding to repair the Laupahoehoe Gulch Bridge along the Mamalahoa Highway after damage from Hurricane Lane in 2018.

Schatz is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible  for directing expenditures of money.  It is considered one of the most powerful committees.

The damage to the bridge was caused by severe flooding after Hurricane Lane hit Hawai‘i in August of 2018. The repairs will help ensure the long-term stabilization of the bridge so that people can travel on the highway safely.

This new grant comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is expected to cover 75 percent of the total project cost. With this latest funding, Hawai‘i has now received more than $10 million from FEMA’s Public Assistance program for recovery from Hurricane Lane and nearly $185 million in total funding to help Hawai‘i recover from the multiple natural disasters in 2018.

Photo is some of the Hurricane Lane damage in  Hawi, taken by State Department of Transportation and courtesy Dave Corrigan,  Big Island Video News (bigislandvideonews.com)