High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- December 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM 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 9 to 12, 1998
Intense storm low far northwest of Hawaii produced surf of 10 to 20 feet on west and north shores of all 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.
Intense storm low far northwest of Hawaii produced surf of 10 to 20 feet on west and north shores of all 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
- December 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM 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 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM 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 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM 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 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- December 9, 12:00 PM HST to December 12, 6:00 AM 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
- Wildfire and Dust Storm in California, December 9, 1998
- Winter Weather in Wyoming, December 9, 1998
- Wildfire and High Wind in California, December 9 to 10, 1998
- High Wind in Alaska, December 9 to 10, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 9, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Colorado, December 9 to 10, 1998
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 9 to 14, 1998
- High Wind in Arizona, December 9, 1998
- High Wind in Utah, December 9, 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: 5675408, 5675409, 5675410, 5675411, 5675412, 5675413.