More than 1,000 people are still reported missing.
It has been revealed that Manuel, who was a former Obama Foundation leader, said in past statements that he believes water to be an important tool for social justice and that access to water should be determined by “equity.”
“Let water connect us and not divide us,” Manuel said during a debate hosted by the University of Hawaii last year, referring to water as a sacred god. “We can share it, but it requires true conversations about equity…How do we coexist with the resources we have?”
In addition to Manuel delaying the release of water, more than 80 emergency sirens failed to go off which would have alerted Maui residents and tourists that they were in danger. The chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, Herman Andaya, resigned on Thursday after he defended not using the outdoor emergency sirens.