Heavy rain caused some minor New Year's Eve flooding yesterday near seven homes in Kipapa Gulch and closed the Kipapa Gulch bridge, a city spokesman said.

John Cummings, with the Department of Emergency Management, said mostly yards and garages were flooded.

“;Although homes were flooded, it was very, very minor,”; he said. “;No one needed to be evacuated.”;

Kamehameha Highway had to be closed in both directions for about 21/2 hours while crews inspected the bridge.

“;Water took a lot of sediment away from the bridge embankment,”; said Department of Transportation Highway and Construction and Maintenance Superintendent Bob Custino, who got the call at 5:30 p.m.

Custino said the bridge is solid and the foundation is OK.

DOT officials expect to backfill the bridge embankment and compact it within one or two weeks, he said.

Police reopened the bridge and roadway at about 8:15 p.m.

Mike Dau, a landlord and resident in the Kipapa Gulch neighborhood near 94-500 Kamehameha Highway, said it started raining hard at about 3:30 p.m. just as he was starting to light his barbecue for a New Year's party.

Water about a foot deep rushed down from the irrigation ditches in pineapple fields owned by Castle & Cooke, he said.

“;It's pretty spectacular,”; Dau said.

Dau, a Hawaiian Airlines pilot, said it was the seventh time since 1985 that water from the field above has flooded the residents. The last time was in early December.

He said water did not get into any of the houses, but carried mud and rocks into yards and garages. He had just cleaned his garage from the last flood.

“;It's a pain,”; Dau said.

Garret Matsunami, director of engineering and site construction for Castle & Cooke, said heavy rain in early December damaged an irrigation ditch that was supposed to divert rainwater coming from the unimproved land. Subsequent rain delayed the repairs.

Yesterday, rainwater flowed over the eroded ditch and down a 20-foot slope into the subdivision and across Kamehameha Highway, he said. Crews are expected to continue repairs tomorrow.