High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 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, March 17 to 18, 1998
Storm low far northwest of the state caused surf of 6 to 12 feet on north and northwest facing 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.
Storm low far northwest of the state caused surf of 6 to 12 feet on north and northwest facing 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
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 AM HST
- Where
- Kauai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 AM HST
- Where
- Lanai forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui
- When
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 AM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai
- When
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- March 17, 12:00 PM HST to March 18, 4:00 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
- Ice Storm in Iowa, March 17, 1998
- Flooding in Alabama, March 17, 1998
- Winter Storm in Utah, March 17 to 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Wisconsin, March 17 to 19, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Mississippi, March 17, 1998
- Flood in Florida, March 17, 1998
- Winter Storm in Wyoming, March 17 to 18, 1998
- Winter Storm in Colorado, March 17 to 18, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Montana, March 17, 1998
- Hail in New Mexico, March 17, 1998
- Rip Current in Florida, March 17, 1998
- High Wind in Alaska, March 17, 1998
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 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: 5637819, 5637820, 5637821, 5637822, 5637823, 5637824.