Flooding and heavy rain that ravaged O'ahu and Kaua'i in mid-December caused an estimated $50 million in damage, according to state Civil Defense officials.

"Property damage to residential homes and vehicles, as well as agriculture losses, will probably run to more than $40 million," said state Civil Defense spokesman Ray Lovell. "The public infrastructure damage — bridges and roads and other public property — would probably run somewhere between $5 million and $10 million."

Lovell said that is a "rough damage estimate" and the total could be more or less. He said the loss amount includes Kaua'i, although he said that island suffered less personal property damage than O'ahu did.

From Dec. 11 to 13, heavy rain washed out roads on O'ahu, transformed residential lawns into raging rivers and in some cases carried away automobiles. During the three-day period, Schofield Barracks received more than 15 inches of rain, Mililani more than 12 inches, Wai'anae more than 9 inches and Waimanalo more than 7 inches.

Kaua'i experienced significant flooding, along with mudslides, downed trees and road closures.

A major disaster declaration for Hawai'i was issued Jan. 5 by President Bush. That makes federal money available to people who suffered storm damage on O'ahu.

Lovell said several dozen Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration officials began arriving in Honolulu last week for meetings before beginning relief operations. He said they would remain in the state for several weeks.

"FEMA and SBA will be working very closely together," Lovell said. "There will be FEMA officials going out to those communities that were hardest hit. What they'll be doing is going out to stores and shopping centers and places like that and handing out fliers telling people how É to apply for federal assistance."

More than 500 O'ahu residents in Waialua, Hale'iwa, La'ie, Windward O'ahu, Waipahu and the Wai'anae Coast reported storm damage to homes, apartments and vehicles, said Lovell. Some 240 O'ahu homes were destroyed or suffered major damage, he added.

Gov. Linda Lingle requested the Presidential Disaster Declaration in late December. Residents will now be eligible for grants for temporary housing and home repairs and low-cost loans from FEMA and SBA for uninsured property losses. Federal assistance also will be available to state and local governments as well as some nonprofit agencies with storm damage on O'ahu and Kaua'i.

In addition, Lingle has asked for federal agriculture assistance.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said the city would be getting more than $3 million in federal aid, and that FEMA said more funds could be available later if needed.