High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- January 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 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 4 to 8, 1998
A gale low centered about 500 miles to the north of the Hawaiian Islands caused surf of 8 to 12 feet along northwest and 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 gale low centered about 500 miles to the north of the Hawaiian Islands caused surf of 8 to 12 feet along northwest and 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 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 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 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 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 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 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 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- January 4, 12:00 PM HST to January 8, 2:00 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
- Flash Flooding and High Wind in California, January 4 to 25, 1998
- Ice Storm in Kansas, January 4, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Arkansas, January 4 to 5, 1998
- Winter Storm in Oregon, January 4, 1998
- Ice Storm in Wisconsin, January 4 to 5, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Texas, January 4 to 5, 1998
- Ice Storm in Iowa, January 4, 1998
- Winter Storm in Utah, January 4 to 5, 1998
- Winter Weather in Vermont, January 4 to 6, 1998
- Winter Weather in New York, January 4 to 6, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Lightning Strike in Oklahoma, January 4 to 5, 1998
- Heavy Rain in Texas, January 4 to 5, 1998
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5630419, 5630420, 5630421, 5630422, 5630423, 5630424.