High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 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, September 21 to 22, 1998
Storm low far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along north and northwest 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.
Storm low far northwest of the Hawaiian Islands produced surf of 8 to 12 feet along north and northwest 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
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 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
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 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
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 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
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- September 21, 10:00 AM HST to September 22, 2:00 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
- Tornadoes and Hail in Oklahoma, September 21, 1998
- Hurricane in Puerto Rico, September 21 to 22, 1998
- Hurricane in U.S. Virgin Islands, September 21 to 22, 1998
- Flash Flooding in South Carolina, September 21, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in New York, September 21, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Alabama, September 21, 1998
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, September 21, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, September 21, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Vermont, September 21, 1998
- Flood in Missouri, September 21 to 25, 1998
- Damaging Wind in Colorado, September 21, 1998
- Flood in Kentucky, September 21, 1998
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, September 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: 5676662, 5676663, 5676664, 5676665, 5676666, 5676667.