Manoa residents lined up at the microphone last night to tell federal, state and city officials their personal experiences during flooding in their valley last year, the repairs yet to be made and their fears that it could happen again.

Residents at a Manoa Neighborhood Board meeting described how the flood of Oct. 30, 2004 washed away rock walls, filled homes with silt and put lives at risk. Floodwaters also caused millions of dollars of damage at the University of Hawai'i.

Residents asked when they would see financial relief and measures taken to prevent Manoa Stream from flooding again.

Derek Chow with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told the group there is no quick fix because homes and businesses have been built in flood plains.

"What we need to do now is to find ways to reduce or mitigate the possibility of flooding," Chow said.

Manoa Valley is part of the Ala Wai watershed. A flood prevention study is currently taking place, but is not expected to be completed until 2008, he said. Then the corps will look for project funding from the state and Congress.

State Rep. Kirk Caldwell, D-24th (Manoa), said a bill to grant a tax credit to flood victims was opposed by the state Department of Taxation during the 2005 legislative session but will be looked at again this year, along with a bill to issue state bonds to repair flood damage.

Ed Teixeira, vice director of Hawai'i Civil Defense, said there was nothing he could say at the meeting to lighten the burden of residents, but assured them that help will be coming.

Reach James Gonser at jgonser@honoluluadvertiser.com.