California, 2001

High Surf in California, November 21 to 24, 2001

November 21 to 24, 2001 · NWS SGX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy surf began on Wednesday, 11/21/01, and continued into Saturday, 11/24/01. On Thanksgiving Day, 11/22/01, a 16 foot boat was sunk entering Oceanside Harbor, a 14 foot boat was capsized off the end of Ocean Beach Pier, while elsewhere lifeguards rescued several surfers from rip currents.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
4
Property damage
$25,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 SGX wrote it up.

Heavy surf began on Wednesday, 11/21/01, and continued into Saturday, 11/24/01. On Thanksgiving Day, 11/22/01, a 16 foot boat was sunk entering Oceanside Harbor, a 14 foot boat was capsized off the end of Ocean Beach Pier, while elsewhere lifeguards rescued several surfers from rip currents.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 21, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 21, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 21, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, San Diego County Coasts

When
November 21, 3:00 PM PST to November 24, 9:00 AM PST
Where
San Diego County Coasts forecast zone
Injuries
4 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
33.028, -116.770 (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

More

Every storm in California in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 2001

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: 5272545.