High Surf, Niihau
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Niihau forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, February 7, 1996
A storm low far north of the Hawaiian Islands generated swell that impacted the north and west facing shores producing surf of 18 to 25 feet in the Waimea and Sunset Beach areas of Oahu. Surf run up washed across some north shore roads, and most beaches were closed due to the life threatening surf.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS HFO wrote it up.
A storm low far north of the Hawaiian Islands generated swell that impacted the north and west facing shores producing surf of 18 to 25 feet in the Waimea and Sunset Beach areas of Oahu. Surf run up washed across some north shore roads, and most beaches were closed due to the life threatening surf.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Leeward forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Kauai Mountains
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Mountains forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Oahu South Shore
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu South Shore forecast zone
High Surf, Waianae Coast
- When
- February 7, 12:00 AM HST to 11:00 PM HST
- Where
- Waianae Coast forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- High Surf
- Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in Montana, February 7 to 11, 1996
- Flood in Wyoming, February 7, 1996
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 7, 1996
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, February 7 to 8, 1996
- High Wind in Wyoming, February 7, 1996
- High Wind in Oregon, February 7 to 8, 1996
- Flooding in Montana, February 7 to 15, 1996
- High Wind in Wyoming, February 7, 1996
- Flood in Montana, February 7 to 8, 1996
- Flood in Washington, February 7, 1996
- Cold in Montana, February 7, 1996
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 1996
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5566020, 5566021, 5566022, 5566023, 5566024, 5566025.