Officials from the U.S. Small Business Administration were on O'ahu today touring flood-ravaged areas in response to Gov. Linda Lingle's disaster declaration.

The federal officials accompanied state Civil Defense personnel to verify damage in some of the worst affected areas of Hale'iwa and Waialua, said Ray Lovell, civil defense spokesman.

The visit is one of the first steps to providing affected families and homeowners with much needed help, Lovell said.

The governor's declaration provided a way for homeowners to receive partial property tax refunds and to possibly have their building permit fees waived to speed up the repair and recovery process.

The federal officials are expected to report their findings back to the U.S. Small Business Administration sometime this week.

Meanwhile, officials have not released a dollar estimate of the damaged caused by Thursday's storm and this weekend's downpour.

Ed Teixeira, state Civil Defense vice director, said that a very preliminary estimate of damage by the Civil Defense Agency is at about $1.6 million on O'ahu. That figure is more than likely to rise.

Similarly, the state has yet to begin to compile numbers related to flood insurance claims resulting from the weekend's rain. Carol Tyau-Beam, the state National Flood Insurance Program coordinator, said the state will likely begin to compile that information soon. She said it is too early to know how many claims may have been filed or whether claim money has been dispersed.

As of Monday night, civil defense had identified 47 homes or other structures that suffered major damage or destruction, Lovell said. Criteria considered when determining whether a home has suffered major damage includes the level of flood waters, if flood water has affected electrical wiring in the home, whether the roof is still in tact and the stability of the building's foundation.

"Right now the dollar amount isn't as important as determining whether people can still live in their homes," Lovell said.

"Our focus is on looking at what people's needs are most immediately," he said.