High Surf, Island of Hawaii
- When
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Island of Hawaii forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf in Hawaii, March 19 to 22, 1999
An intense storm that passed to the north of the Hawaiian Islands generated large surf of 12 to 18 feet with occasional 20 footers along north shores, and 8 to 12 feet along west shores of some 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.
An intense storm that passed to the north of the Hawaiian Islands generated large surf of 12 to 18 feet with occasional 20 footers along north shores, and 8 to 12 feet along west shores of some 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
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Lanai forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Maui
- When
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Maui forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Molokai
- When
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- March 19, 2:00 PM HST to March 22, 8:30 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 1999
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: 5686295, 5686296, 5686297, 5686298, 5686299, 5686300.