Big Island Civil Defense officials yesterday identified three homes that were destroyed, 10 that suffered major damage and 50 that received minor damage in a rough initial tally of the harm done Sunday by two earthquakes.

Civil Defense officials also listed eight businesses that suffered major damage and 51 with minor damage, for a total preliminary damage estimate of $2.4 million for businesses alone.

The early damage estimate for homes was $650,000 and expected to rise.

Calls from Big Island residents streamed into the county Civil Defense headquarters yesterday, with reports of cracked walls and post-on-pier homes that had walked off their supports during the temblor.

Others reported collapsed rock walls, and some wondered if their homes were safe for occupancy, said Janet Snyder, public relations specialist for the county.

"I heard one lady in Kona that had cracks in her walls she could see through, she was very upset, and they left the house because they were concerned that it might not be safe," Snyder said. "For me, that was the worst one I heard."

Civil defense officials were gathering information about damaged homes and promising residents that they will arrange for checks of the most seriously damaged structures as soon as possible.

Reports of damage yesterday included the old 10-room homestead of Father Elias Bond, one of the earliest missionaries on the Big Island and the founder of the Kohala Girls' School. He later founded the Kohala Sugar Plantation, and his home was built in stages starting in the 1840s.

Officials with the New Moon Foundation had outfitted the Bond homestead with authentic furniture, dishes, clothing and other items in preparation for opening the house as a museum, but Sunday's earthquakes collapsed the rock walls that made up the front and rear walls of the structure, said Robin Mullin, office administrator with the foundation.

"We're trying to empty the building of all the contents, and it's pretty hectic," she said. She said the foundation does not yet have an estimate of the dollar value of the damage. Also sustaining extensive damage was the Kalahikola Congregational Church that Bond built with his congregation and dedicated in 1855.

Other reports of damage included a home on Ho'ohoa Street in Waimea where the carport and a portion of the front of the house collapsed, and a collapsed garage that was reported on Waiola Place on the outskirts of Kailua, Kona.

The Historic Hawai'i Foundation said it received reports of damage to several historic buildings and structures on the Big Island, including Hulihe'e Palace, a state and national historic landmark in Kailua, Kona.

Engineers specializing in bridges and road construction from the state Department of Transportation arrived on the Big Island yesterday to inspect damage to a bridge on the Akoni Pule Highway in North Kohala between the 5- and 6-mile markers.

State experts also planned to check damage to Highway 19 near Pa'auilo on the Hamakua Coast.

A private road was opened to the public to bypass the collapsed lane on Highway 19, but Akoni Pule remained closed yesterday.

County Chief Engineer Bruce McClure said that for the county, "basically we've been lucky on our road infrastructure, that our bridges have not shown major damage."

Kawaihae Harbor remained closed because of damage from the earthquakes.

Eight regular public schools and two public charter schools remained closed today, while three other regular public schools and one public charter school were scheduled to reopen.

At Kona Community Hospital, a state engineer confirmed that there was no structural damage despite fallen ceiling tiles that had prompted the evacuation of several dozen patients, said Emily Mendez-Bryant, spokeswoman for the Hawaii Health Systems Corp. West Hawai'i region.

By week's end, hospital officials hope that 30 patients evacuated to the convention center at the Keauhou Sheraton can return, said Mendez-Bryant.

At Hale Ho'ola Hamakua long-term-care facility, preliminary reports indicate no structural damage, but water was still ponding throughout the hospital due to a break in a water line. There is significant water damage to one of the hospital's wings, said administrator Romel Dela Cruz.

Several dozen patients were being housed in two big rooms at the renovated Honoka'a Hospital.

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com.