People whose property was damaged in the recent high winds, heavy rain and flooding on O'ahu can get assistance starting tomorrow at disaster recovery centers opening in Wai'anae, Hale'iwa and La'ie. Centers will open around the island through Saturday.

Representatives with state and city agencies and organizations such as the American Red Cross will be at the centers with information about services and assistance for weather-damage victims from 1 to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, the State Civil Defense Agency announced yesterday.

Locations are set for tomorrow (see box), but still are being worked on for Thursday through Saturday, said Ed Teixeira, State Civil Defense vice director.

The state stands ready to organize a similar center on Kaua'i, if there is a need, Teixeira said.

Meanwhile, National Guard soldiers will be assisting Honolulu city crews with cleanup efforts as soon as tomorrow, Teixeira said. The soldiers' assistance is made possible by the state disaster declaration by Gov. Linda Lingle, he said.

Also, the American Red Cross planned to keep its disaster shelters at Wai'anae and La'ie open at least through today.

They are at Wai'anae District Park, 85-601 Farrington Highway, and the Brigham Young University Hawai'i old gym, 55-220 Kulanui St.

DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS

Red Cross volunteers continued to canvass neighborhoods on the Wai'anae Coast and the west side of Kaua'i to assess residential damage and distribute cleanup kits, the agency said.

Very preliminary estimates of damage by the State Civil Defense Agency are about $1.6 million on O'ahu, but that's sure to rise with more detailed reports over the coming month, he said. People often underestimate the extent of their own losses, and don't factor in electrical re-wiring, carpeting and paint that often must be done after flooding, he said.

State Civil Defense and the Red Cross each assess damage in different ways, he said.

The Red Cross determined that at least 190 homes on O'ahu were damaged, of which 34 were badly damaged or destroyed, Hawai'i Chapter Chief Executive Coralie Matayoshi said Sunday.

LATEST UPDATES

In other developments related to the Thursday and Saturday storms: