Hawaii, 1997

High Surf in Hawaii, December 21 to 23, 1997

December 21 to 23, 1997 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Deep storm low that moved from near the dateline far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands to the Gulf of Alaska produced surf of 10 to 15 feet on north facing shores and 12 to 18 feet on west shores of all the islands. The rough surf claimed the life of a 46-year old woman and injured her 40-year old female cousin in waters near Kokee Beach on the north shore of Maui.

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.

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
2
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.

Deep storm low that moved from near the dateline far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands to the Gulf of Alaska produced surf of 10 to 15 feet on north facing shores and 12 to 18 feet on west shores of all the islands. The rough surf claimed the life of a 46-year old woman and injured her 40-year old female cousin in waters near Kokee Beach on the north shore of Maui. This occurred at about 3:30 P.M. on the 22nd. The women were caught in a strong undertow and swept out into the pounding surf. The woman who survived was totally exhausted and barely able to stay afloat when rescuers arrived on the scene. They were unable to resuscitate the other victim. A male in his early 20s, one of 18 surfers to be rescued by water safety officials on the 22nd in Oahu, was injured in Makaha on the west shore of that isle in the early afternoon when he was driven into his surf board and suffered a cut underneath his eye and minor neck injuries.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Island of Hawaii

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Island of Hawaii forecast zone
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai forecast zone
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Lanai forecast zone
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone

High Surf, Oahu

When
December 21, 2:00 PM HST to December 23, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
High Surf, Maui1997-12-2246FemaleIn WaterDirect

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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, December 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: 5625681, 5625682, 5625683, 5625684, 5625685, 5625686.