High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- November 16, 5:00 AM HST to November 17, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Island of Hawaii forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, November 16 to 17, 1997
Storm low that deepened to the northeast of the Hawaiian Islands caused surf of 4 to 8 feet, with occasional higher sets, along the north and northeast facing shores of the Island of Hawaii and Maui. The high surf closed Hilo's Bayfront Highway.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
- 2
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.
Storm low that deepened to the northeast of the Hawaiian Islands caused surf of 4 to 8 feet, with occasional higher sets, along the north and northeast facing shores of the Island of Hawaii and Maui. The high surf closed Hilo's Bayfront Highway.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Maui
- When
- November 16, 5:00 AM HST to November 17, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, November 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: 5625647, 5625648.