Troy Kindred, Big Island civil defense administrator, said the damage observed by relief workers in the field doesn't seem to match the limited reports of damage that are trickling in through official channels.

That has led some experts to speculate North Kohala residents may not be reporting the true extent of the harm done by the quakes, he said.

Kindred said disaster relief workers plan to meet with Kohala residents on Saturday at a community gathering at the Kohala Intergenerational Center in Kapa'au to reassure them that "the goal here is not to hurt the community. The goal here is to help the community."

"In Kohala we know, because we've been there, that there is significant damage, yet the numbers of reported damage are low," Kindred said. "We're concerned that some of the residents might feel that if they come in and report, we're going to some in and say 'Hey, that house doesn't meet the standard, you have to get out.' "

So far county inspectors have "red-tagged" 61 homes and churches, meaning they cannot be occupied until major repairs are made. County inspectors have also issued 161 yellow tags, meaning portions of those homes cannot be used until repairs are made.

Kindred said he has heard second- and third-hand accounts that "some people are really a little reluctant to step forward because they're afraid, maybe they can't live in their house, and they don't have the resources to go someplace else," Kindred said.

"We want to make sure that they understand that the intent is not to deny them a place to live, or to kick them out of their house," he said. "It's just to make sure they're safe."

Gov. Linda Lingle said on a visit to the Big Island last week that some North Kohala residents told her they were worried that if they reported their cesspools had collapsed in the earthquakes, they might be required to replace the damaged wastewater systems with more expensive septic tanks.

Big Island Mayor Harry Kim assured Lingle that people who report damage will not be forced to upgrade to septic systems. "We're bureaucrats, but we're not stupid," Kim told Lingle.

Kindred said civil defense officials have tentatively selected sites in Waimea and Kona for disaster relief centers where residents can report damage and register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a first step in the process of seeking federal disaster relief.

The Kona and Waimea Center sites are expected to open Friday, and be staffed by state, county and FEMA representatives for at least five days. FEMA officials will remain at those sites for at least two weeks, and county and state officials may remain beyond the five days if they are needed, he said.

However, a similar disaster relief center for North Kohala will not open until Nov. 1. The delay in opening that site is meant to give county and federal officials time to reassure Kohala residents at the Saturday meeting about the disaster relief effort.

"We're going to try and educate these people, and by Wednesday of next week, we will have everyone showing up at the (disaster recovery center) sites. That's what I'm hoping for," Kindred said.

County officials are also trying to determine if another disaster relief center is needed in the Hamakua area, which also sustained significant damage.

"We don't want them to have to drive forever to get to a place; they've already suffered enough impact from this," Kindred said.