Isles to get federal aid
for flood damage

President Bush has signed a federal disaster declaration for Hawaii to aid recovery from the Oct. 30 Manoa floods that caused millions of dollars in damage to homes, businesses and the University of Hawaii campus.

U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye said the declaration, signed by Bush on Tuesday, makes federal funds available to the state, City and County of Honolulu, and some nonprofit organizations to repair the damage. Inouye (D-Hawaii) said his office was told that an amount has not been set for the federal assistance.

Federal money will also be available to the state and city to take action to minimize any long-term risk posed by similar natural disasters.

Gov. Linda Lingle and UH Interim President David McClain welcomed the declaration.

Lingle had already declared Manoa Valley and the rest of Oahu a state disaster area, making available personal and commercial loans to people whose homes and businesses were damaged from Oct. 30 to Nov. 7.

UH officials estimate the flood caused $76 million in damage to the Manoa campus. The university's insurance policy covers just $25 million, with the state having to pay a 3 percent deductible.

The federal assistance will be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"The federal dollars that will be made available through FEMA will help relieve the financial burden to the state, especially for the cleanup and repairs on the University of Hawaii campus," Lingle said in a statement.