High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- December 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 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 22, 1998
Low far off in the northwest Pacific caused surf of 6 to 10 feet on the north shores of all the islands. Three professional surfers were injured, with one almost drowning, as high surf affected conditions at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore.
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
- 3
- 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.
Low far off in the northwest Pacific caused surf of 6 to 10 feet on the north shores of all the islands. Three professional surfers were injured, with one almost drowning, as high surf affected conditions at the Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore.
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 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 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 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 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 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 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 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- December 22, 12:00 PM HST to 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Injuries
- 3 direct, 0 indirect
- 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
- Ice Storm in Texas, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Ice Storm in Mississippi, December 22 to 25, 1998
- Strong Wind in Maine, December 22, 1998
- Ice Storm in Louisiana, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Ice Storm in Arkansas, December 22 to 24, 1998
- Heavy Snow in New York, December 22 to 25, 1998
- Ice Storm in Mississippi, December 22 to 23, 1998
- High Wind in Vermont, December 22, 1998
- Cold in California, December 22, 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: 5675432, 5675433, 5675434, 5675435, 5675436, 5675545.