High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Island of Hawaii forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, April 11 to 12, 1997
A storm low 900 miles north of Oahu generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along the north shores of Kauai and Oahu, and surf of 6 to 10 feet along the north shores of the other Hawaiian Islands.
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 900 miles north of Oahu generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along the north shores of Kauai and Oahu, and surf of 6 to 10 feet along the north shores of the other Hawaiian Islands.
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
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Lanai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- April 11, 5:00 AM HST to April 12, 5:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
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
- Hurricane and Heavy Rain in Guam, April 11 to 19, 1997
- Flood in Oklahoma, April 11, 1997
- Tornadoes and Flash Flood in Louisiana, April 11, 1997
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Damaging Wind in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Damaging Winds in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Hail in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Lightning Strike in Louisiana, April 11, 1997
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, April 11 to 12, 1997
- Tornado in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Tornado in Texas, April 11, 1997
- Hail in Texas, April 11, 1997
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, April 1997
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: 5626976, 5626977, 5626978, 5626979, 5626980, 5626981.