East Coast Storm Eases, Brings Rain : Hawaii Pounded by 10-Foot Waves Spawned by Hurricane

High waves generated by Hurricane Ignacio hit the island of Hawaii Thursday as the remnants of Hurricane Bob brought heavy rain to North Carolina, Virginia and Washington, D.C.

On Hawaii, secondary roads leading to beaches were ordered closed and residents and visitors were advised to stay away from the shore because of waves above 10 feet, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Harry Kim.

But late Thursday, Ignacio was downgraded to a tropical storm centered about 300 miles south-southeast of Hilo on the east coast of the island of Hawaii, the National Weather Service said.

Winds had dropped to about 70 m.p.h., with occasional gusts to 85 m.p.h. At its height, Ignacio was unleashing winds of 115 m.p.h.

If the storm holds its course, it would pass about 200 miles south-southeast of Hawaii’s South Point this morning, forecasters said.

Emergency Plans Readied

Civil Defense officials were reported ready to activate emergency plans should the storm sweep across the islands.

No deaths or injuries were reported from 1985’s first Atlantic hurricane, which limped ashore late Wednesday across tiny Fripp Island with 92-m.p.h. wind gusts and 10-foot storm tides.

The storm, downgraded Thursday to a tropical depression, toppled trees and knocked out power to 25,000 homes in the Charleston area as it moved through.

During the storm a freighter ran aground in Charleston harbor and a barge sank at its dock in North Charleston, said Mike Culpepper of the South Carolina Emergency Preparedness Division.

“We got off real easy,” said Mayor Richard Beck in Folly Beach, S.C., which was devastated by hurricanes in 1959 and 1979. “It was almost unbelievable . . . It was no worse than a Nor’easterly.”

In Myrtle Beach, the storm downed some small signs and left water standing in yards and on roadways.

The storm’s remnants brought heavy rain and strong winds into the nation’s capital and its suburbs, downing power lines and capsizing a seaplane filming a motion picture. Five persons were rescued uninjured from the plane.

In Bowling Green, Va., winds and rain from the storm system collapsed tents and knocked over several portable toilets at the National Scout Jamboree. None of the scouts were injured.

None of the Jamboree events were canceled, although officials said many Scouts were too busy repairing their camps to show up for scheduled activities.

The tropical depression was expected to move into Pennsylvania today.