HILO, Hawai'i — Heavy rainfall in Hilo and Puna yesterday closed some roads and caused flooding in one Hilo home, but there were no reports of major damage, according to Big Island civil defense officials.

The National Weather Service reported that more than 6 1/2 inches of rain fell at Hilo airport and in the Pi'ihonua area mauka of Hilo in the 24 hours ending at 2 p.m. yesterday.

More than 6 inches fell in Upper Puna, and nearly 8 1/2 inches fell during the same period in Waiakea Uka, mauka of Hilo.

Civil defense officials began reopening closed roads by mid-afternoon yesterday, and the National Weather Service canceled its flash-flood warning, leaving a flash-flood watch in place until midnight last night.

Lanny Nakano, acting county civil defense administrator, said the ground floor of a two-story home on Ho'omana Street in Hilo was flooded with about six inches of water yesterday morning. The home had suffered flood damage before, and a rock wall the owner built to try to divert the water failed to prevent additional flooding, he said.

Nakano said civil defense officials also received a number of requests for sandbags to stem flooding, including one request from Waiakea Elementary School.

Waiakea principal Clifton Iwamoto said the water filled a play area at the school and threatened to flood some classrooms, but that finally the water receded without actually doing any damage.

Flooding closed Hilo's Bayfront highway and Kamehameha Avenue about 10:40 yesterday morning; both are areas that occasionally flood after heavy rains, but the Bayfront Highway reopened about 5 p.m.

Also closed for at least part of yesterday were Pauahi Street, East Kawailani Street near Railroad Avenue, and 8 Road in the Puna subdivision of Hawaiian Acres

Barney Sheffield, disaster coordinator for the American Red Cross on the Big Island, said the Red Cross had two emergency shelters on standby Wednesday night in case there was widespread flooding, but never actually opened the shelters.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.