At least 89 people have died in wildfires on Hawaii’s May Island, a heavy toll that has drawn criticism for how authorities handled one of the worst natural disasters in the American archipelago’s recent history.

The fires have killed at least 89 people, state governor John Green said, warning that the death toll could rise.

“We have counted 89 dead,” Green said yesterday afternoon (local time, Sunday morning Greek time). “It will continue to grow. We want people to prepare for it,” he added.

Residents, still in shock, are beginning to see the extent of the devastation in Laheina. “Everything was destroyed, everything. My heart is breaking,” says 80-year-old Anthony Garcia, who has chosen Lahaina as his home for 30 years. All around him, survivors search through the ashes in hopes of finding photos or artifacts.

Of the shops, hotels and restaurants that gave the character of the resort town of 13,000 inhabitants, almost nothing remains.

Amidst this landscape of devastation, residents try to understand how this tragedy could have reached such proportions. So did the judiciary, ordering an investigation into the management of the crisis by the local authorities.

Maui experienced multiple power outages during the crisis, and the 911 emergency number stopped working on some parts of the island, while fire alarm sirens did not activate.

Undoubtedly in Hawaii the countdown is not over. Search and rescue teams, aided by trained dogs, have arrived on Maui to search for victims.