FEMA approves relief and recovery assistance for Hawaii quake victims

HONOLULU -- The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved relief and recovery assistance for Hawaii residents who were victims of last week's magnitude 6.7 earthquake, Gov. Linda Lingle said Monday.

The aid may include grants for temporary housing, home repairs and other serious disaster-related expenses, Lingle said in a news release. Also, low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration will be available to cover residential and business losses not fully compensated by insurance.

"While no amount of assistance can cover the loss of personal sentimental items, the announcement by FEMA today will help bring some peace of mind to many residents," Lingle said.

The Oct. 15 earthquake was the strongest to hit the islands in more than two decades. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but preliminary damage estimates were as high as $46 million. The quake struck near Hawaii's Big Island, a 4,000-plus-square-mile isle with a population of 167,000.

Also Monday, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the government plans to increase to 15 the number of advanced earthquake monitors in the Hawaiian islands. There are currently only three.

Officials hope to install the new monitors in 18 months.

Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist at the center, said plans to increase the number of monitors have been in the works since a magnitude 9.1 quake struck off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra Island in 2004 and triggered a tsunami that killed 230,000.