HONOLULU — The following statement is attributable to Mayor Rick Blangiardi and was issued in response to Gov. Josh Green’s announcement Wednesday that President Trump has approved a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaiʻi following our recent Kona Low storms:

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to President Trump, the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA for approving this Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaiʻi. This declaration is a meaningful and necessary step, and we are grateful for the federal government’s recognition of what our communities have been through with these recent storms.

“I also want to extend my sincere thanks to Governor Josh Green for his incredible partnership, his advocacy on behalf of all of Hawaiʻi’s people, and his leadership in securing this declaration.

“Today’s announcement opens the door to critical federal resources and signals a shared commitment with our state and federal partners to see this recovery through. We have much work to do, but we will attack this challenge with the strength and determination our people deserve.”