Billions in losses projected to hit Hawaii’s economy hard
The statewide economic impact of wildfires on Hawaii island and Maui — where the destruction in Lahaina has become the nation’s deadliest single wildfire in recent history — is likely to hit at least $8 billion to $10 billion in the Hawaiian Islands.
That preliminary estimate from AccuWeather, a source of global weather forecasts and warnings headquartered in State College, Pa., mostly takes into account Maui, where the loss of life and property have been staggering. Maui, which depends on tourism more than any other Hawaiian island, also has had the most direct economic hit.
Still, Jake Sojda, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Sunday that “this is a Hawaii estimate because there is ripple impact across the islands.”
