More than a week after devastating wildfires destroyed parts of Maui and claimed at least 111 lives, Maui residents are desperately clinging to hope that their loved ones will return home safe and sound.
They have launched online trackers, including the Google spreadsheet “Maui Fires People Locator” and the Facebook page “Maui Fires People Finder” – with a grim and heartbreaking list of all those still missing.
The extensive spreadsheet, posted online on August 8, has now grown to nearly 6,000 entries and now serves as a resource for people wanting to share good news as officials continue to search destroyed neighboring buildings for evidence of human remains.
Sharon VanGiesen, 60, of Sonoma County, California, is one of those users who is looking for her ex-husband Michael Misaka, 61, who lived at Puiki Place in Lahaina.
“His home is gone, we know that. He lived where all the houses are gone,” VanGiesen told the Post on Thursday. “This is day nine. We don't know what to think.”
VanGiesen said Misaka was a Lahaina native and a popular bartender, and his worried family constantly checked Erickson's spreadsheet for any news about their missing father.
The Maui Fires People Locator table lists more than 1,000 people who are still missing. Among those missing is 61-year-old Michael Misaka, whose home on Puiki Place in Lahaina burned down. Facebook/Megan Sweeting
“I had given up hope until last night an old classmate told us that he had received a text message from Mike on Thursday saying that he had dropped out and [in] Inland. But that person couldn't find the text message, so it's unconfirmed,” VanGiesen complained.
“I text Mike every hour and hope he replies and says he's okay.”
VanGiesen added that her daughter Megan had given her DNA to Hawaiian authorities in case it could be used to identify him – should he be among the dead.
Laura Hudelson, 73, of Florence, Arizona, also desperately searches the chart several times a day to find out what happened to her son Phillip, 56, who worked as a bartender in the city.
“We called the morgue, called the jail, called the hospitals, called the Red Cross, talked to the Maui Police Department and I posted on Facebook a hundred times,” Hudelson said. “I have him on the list [the Google Doc] someone put it together and I check it three times a day. I just checked it and it still says “not found”.
Phillip Hudelson, 56, remains missing and his family fears the worst. Facebook/Laura Hudelson
Although there is no news, Hudleson tries to stay positive, remembering that her son is always willing to help others and probably would have joined local volunteer work rather than finding work at a shelter.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain positive as each day passes without any news about Philip.
“I'm staying very optimistic, that's all I can do right now without completely freaking out,” Hudleson said. “Someone said on Monday they saw him walking on Front Street, but that can't be confirmed. It's all hearsay.”
It was precisely this need for convenience that prompted Ellie Erickson of Kihei to create the spreadsheet in the first place.
Many of these entries concern the people of Lahaina, a resort town of 13,000 that was burned to the ground. New York Post
“I really hope it can become a place where people who are worried about their friends and their loved ones can come. Knowing that someone is safe, they can come there and give people peace of mind,” Erickson, of Kihei, told KHON2 last week.
“I just hope it helps people come together and find people faster so they don't have to go through thousands of comments. It should just streamline that process.”
Erickson's file allows people to provide names and details about when their loved ones were last heard from. The spreadsheet is updated regularly when the person is located by family members or officials.
The Hawaii State Department of Health has also promoted the chart as a useful tool for residents, as cell phone reception remains spotty on the island.
The government search has so far only combed through about 45 percent of the destroyed area. James Keivom
In particular, reports to shelters for former residents of Lahaina, the historic town that once housed more than 13,000 people and is now in ruins, confirmed that numerous people have been found or are still missing.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green had previously said that around 1,300 people were still missing. The state's estimate appears to be higher than that in Erickson's spreadsheet, which reported around 1,021 people missing as of Thursday afternoon.
Although this table is an unofficial file, it appears to be the only thing available to concerned relatives at the moment, as experts warn that identifying the bodies could take years given the destruction caused by the fire.
Authorities expect the death toll to continue to rise as the search for bodies continues, as many bodies are charred beyond recognition. James Keivom
“This is very similar to what you see in a war zone or what we saw on 9/11,” the governor told CNN, pointing out that only 45 percent of the disaster area had been searched by teams of 41 cadaver dogs.
On Tuesday, Maui County officials released the names of victims Robert Dyckman, 74, and Buddy Jantoc, 79. On Wednesday, they identified three other elderly victims: Melva Benjamin, 71, Virginia Dofa, 90, and Alfredo Galinato, 79.
Because the government has publicly confirmed only five victims, Hawaii authorities are urging people whose relatives are missing to submit DNA samples to assist in the identification process.
Many whose relatives lived in Lahaina at the time of the fire have since gone to police stations to provide their DNA in the hope of one day learning about the fate of their loved ones.
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