High Surf, Kauai
- When
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 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 in Hawaii, December 20 to 27, 2000
A series of storm and gale lows to the northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores and 10 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. Water safety officials on Kauai closed 20 miles of the northwestern coastline of the Garden Isle from Polihale to Hanalei Bay on December 21st and 22nd as a precaution, as high surf of…
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- 7
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 series of storm and gale lows to the northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 20 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores and 10 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. Water safety officials on Kauai closed 20 miles of the northwestern coastline of the Garden Isle from Polihale to Hanalei Bay on December 21st and 22nd as a precaution, as high surf of 12 to 15 feet, with higher sets, pounded the beaches.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 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
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 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
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna
- When
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii Including Leeward Kohala and Kona
- When
- December 20, 8:00 AM HST to December 27, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- West Hawaii Including Leeward Kohala and Kona forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
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
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, December 20, 2000
- Blizzard in North Dakota, December 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, December 20, 2000
- Frost and Freeze in Florida, December 20 to 21, 2000
- Winter Storm in Mississippi, December 20 to 21, 2000
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 20, 2000
- Blizzard in Minnesota, December 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Maine, December 20, 2000
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, December 20 to 22, 2000
- Winter Storm in Maine, December 20, 2000
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, December 20, 2000
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, December 2000
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: 5165410, 5165411, 5165412, 5165413, 5166429, 5166430, 5166431.