The Nation - News from July 24, 1986

Hurricane Estelle, downgraded to a tropical storm, veered away from Hawaii after battering the state’s largest island with 20-foot waves that destroyed five homes and forced the evacuation of scores of residents. No injuries were reported. Many homes in the Vacationland community on the rocky coast south of Hilo were reported flooded. The hurricane, centered 175 miles southwest of South Point, the state’s southernmost tip, had sustained winds of 70 m.p.h. and gusts up to 85 m.p.h. and was moving west at 20 m.p.h., a National Weather Service forecaster said.