Originally Posted by
mtofell
Reports from locals with firsthand knowledge are devastating and paint a MUCH worse picture than what is being reported by the news. One person I talked to who had family inside the restricted area performing search/rescue said they still haven't gone through most buildings or completely scoured the ocean (if even possible at this point) to search for victims. They say to expect the death toll to rise dramatically but also said local government probably doesn't want to report it for fear of hurting tourism on the long run. Yes, the governor has said to stay away for now but this is probably more of a long term fear.
The numbers will almost certainly continue to climb, as the current counts only account for casualties readily identifiable outside and in vehicles. The arduous task of searching structure by structure will take much longer.
I personally don't think the numbers are being held artificially low for the sake of tourism. It's more the reality of needing a lot more time to account for everyone who made it out and is now in shelters, staying with friends, etc. combined with completing a thorough search of the burned areas.
Given that we're not even 72 hours in, all counts being reported are very preliminary. It will likely take weeks, if not months, to have a full picture of the losses. But this will almost certainly be the worst mass casualty in modern Hawaiian history.