Hawaii, 2001

High Surf in Hawaii, April 19 to 21, 2001

April 19 to 21, 2001 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 6 feet along the east shores of all the Hawaiian Islands except Lanai.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

A trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 6 feet along the east shores of all the Hawaiian Islands except Lanai.

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 Honolulu, HI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 19, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 19, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST THU APR 19 2001

SUMMARY...HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH OF THE STATE WILL MAINTAIN
MODERATE TRADE WINDS...DECREASING SLIGHTLY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND
RESTRENGTHENING EARLY NEXT WEEK.

DISCUSSION...A BAND OF CUMULUS CLOUDS WITH SOME SHOWERS EMBEDDED IS
IMMEDIATELY TO THE NORTH OF THE STATE AND RUNS PARALLEL TO THE
ISLAND CHAIN. THIS BAND WILL BRING SOME SHOWERS TO THE WINDWARD
SECTIONS TODAY AND TONIGHT. UPSTREAM OF THE STATE...THIS LINE OF
CUMULUS EXTENDS EASTWARD JUST NORTH OF 20N. THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER
NOW TO THE NNE OF THE STATE WILL SLOWLY DRIFT EAST AND A RIDGE WILL
EXTEND FROM THE HIGH CENTER SOUTHWESTERLY TO WEST OF KAUAI. THIS
WILL KEEP THE TRADES UP AND ADVECT THE CUMULUS BAND TO THE EAST
TOWARDS THE ISLANDS. THEREFORE EXPECT TRADE SHOWERS FOR WINDWARD
SECTIONS TO PERSIST. SOUNDINGS SHOW A CAPPING INVERSION AT 8000 TO
9000 FT SO SHOWERS WILL BE BRIEF. AT UPPER LEVELS...THE NEXT
SIGNIFICANT TROUGH WILL ARRIVE LATE MONDAY. THE TROUGH AXIS LOOKS
LIKE IT WILL BE JUST TO THE EAST OF THE BIG ISLAND SO DO NOT EXPECT
A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PRECIPITATION. JENDROWSKI.

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......NONE
.         ADVISORIES...NONE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM 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, Maui

When
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM 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
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu

When
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Hawaii

When
April 19, 10:00 AM HST to April 21, 6:00 AM HST
Where
South Hawaii 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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, April 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: 5242229, 5242230, 5242231, 5242232, 5242233, 5242234.