CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM A Ford Mustang was lowered onto the pavement yesterday after being extracted from a tree where it got lodged during a flash flood last week in Manoa. The car was parked along Woodlawn Drive and was swept away with other cars. The three cars were towed and hoisted by T and T Recovery and Towing, which donated its services as part of the disaster relief effort.

Flood victims
seek damage aid

Various agencies are helping
residents assess the harm

University of Hawaii graduate student Ann Melnichuck has come to terms with her recently purchased car being a total loss after it was swept into Manoa Stream by a flash flood Saturday night.

Still, she went to the Hawaii State Disaster Recovery Center at Manoa Valley District Park yesterday to see if anything could be done to help her bear the cost of another car. She said she got the 1985 BMW just two months ago and does not know what else to do.

"I went to pick up a friend, and we watched TV for an hour and I came outside and my car was gone," Melnichuck said. "I had liability insurance, but you don't usually insure your car against floods. ... I'm just trying to see if there's any relief from the state for this sort of thing.

"I'm not terribly hopeful."

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Leatrice Muramoto and her niece Gayle filled out an application yesterday at the State of Hawaii Disaster Assistance Recovery Center in Manoa Recreational Center. The center was open to Manoa residents whose homes were damaged by last week's flood, and offered assistance through different relief agencies.

Yesterday, a joint task force made up of officials from the state and county Civil Defense, American Red Cross, Small Business Association and the Federal Emergency Management Agency were still going door to door in the area to help residents assess the damage.

"As of Sunday we had 64 different homes we had inspected that had damages," said Victor Gustafson, a population protection planner for state Civil Defense. "Since then we've done two more days, so I know we're well over a hundred homes and families that have been impacted by this."

He added: "Homeowners and renters haven't had really a chance to make a good determination. They're still asking themselves, How much did I lose?"

Gov. Linda Lingle declared Manoa a disaster area after about 10 inches of rain fell Saturday night, causing flash floods that washed away cars and sent mud and water cascading into homes. Among the affected was U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, whose car was damaged while he was visiting his son in Manoa.

"We had one of our cars fill up with mud and water, and our home had two inches of mud and water covering the entire house," said Belinda Akaka, who is married to the senator's son, Gerard. "Besides the car, our losses were mostly clothing, shoes and furniture. ... We estimated it at about $15,000."

The disaster proclamation allowed money from the state's major disaster fund to be available, as well as being able to utilize National Guard members.

Ed Teixeira, vice director for state Civil Defense, said residential damage -- not including flood damage to the University of Hawaii or Manoa Stream itself -- is estimated at $1.5 million. However, that figure could rise to as much as $5 million, he said.