Trump approves financial aid for Hawaii lava damage

HONOLULU – President Donald Trump has approved federal disaster aid for residents whose homes were destroyed or damaged because of the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii.

Gov. David Ige says Trump approved the request for individual assistance on Thursday.

Ige says qualifying residents may receive help from the federal government for issues such as shelter, unemployment, trauma and legal matters.

Hundreds of homes have been destroyed since May 3, when Kilauea erupted and opened fissures that oozed lava across a mostly rural section of the Big Island.

Hawaii’s congressional delegation urged Trump to act quickly on Ige’s request.

They note the eruption includes fountains of lava shooting several hundred feet high, ash and toxic gases in the air and lava covering roads, electricity lines and neighbourhoods.