High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Island of Hawaii forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, December 18 to 19, 1998
Strong low far northwest of the state produced surf of 8 to 15 feet on the west and north shores of all the isles.
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.
Strong low far northwest of the state produced surf of 8 to 15 feet on the west and north shores of all the isles.
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
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Lanai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui
- When
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai
- When
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- December 18, 5:00 AM HST to December 19, 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
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 Colorado, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Dense Fog in California, December 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Oregon, December 18, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 18, 1998
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 18, 1998
- Cold in Montana, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Cold in Oregon, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Cold in Washington, December 18 to 24, 1998
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, December 18 to 19, 1998
- Blizzard in Minnesota, December 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, December 18, 1998
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 18, 1998
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, December 1998
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: 5675426, 5675427, 5675428, 5675429, 5675430, 5675431.