High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 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, January 8 to 9, 1997
A storm low far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along the north facing shores of the 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 far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along the north facing shores of the 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
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 AM HST
- Where
- Lanai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui
- When
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 AM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai
- When
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- January 8, 4:00 PM HST to January 9, 7:30 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
- Cold in Montana, January 8 to 10, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Missouri, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Oklahoma, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Heavy Snow in Kansas, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Arkansas, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Missouri, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Ice Storm in Georgia, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Sleet in North Carolina, January 8, 1997
- Winter Storm in Illinois, January 8 to 9, 1997
- Ice Storm in West Virginia, January 8 to 9, 1997
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5626641, 5626642, 5626643, 5626644, 5626645, 5626646.