High Surf in Hawaii, April 21 to 25, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, April 21 to 25, 2001
Start: 2001-04-21T06:00
End: 2001-04-25T14:00
Location: Hawaii

April 21 to 25, 2001 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A trade swell generated surf of 4 to 6 feet along the east-facing shores of the island of Hawaii.

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 swell generated surf of 4 to 6 feet along the east-facing shores of the island of Hawaii.

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 21, 4:53 AM HST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 21, 4:53 AM HST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

A SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES TO THE NORTH
OF WAKE ISLAND WILL DOMINATE YOUR WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 48 HOURS.
IT WILL MAINTAIN TRADEWINDS...FROM THE NORTHEAST THEN TURNING TO THE
EAST TONIGHT...10 TO 20 KNOTS THROUGH TOMORROW.  MOISTURE EMBEDDED
IN THE EASTERLY FLOW WILL PROVIDE FOR A BRIEF SHOWER ON OCCASION.
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A FEW PATCHES OF LOW LEVEL CLOUDS UPWIND
TO THE EAST OF YOU.  MOSTLY FAIR WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH
TOMORROW BUT WILL BE INTERUPTED AT TIMES BY CLOUDY PERIODS AND A
BRIEF PASSING SHOWER.

EXPECT EAST NORTHEAST SWELL NEAR 6 FEET THROUGH TOMORROW ALONG
YOUR SHORES.  SEAS WILL BE 3 TO 6 FEET.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: April 21, 6:00 AM HST to April 25, 2:00 PM 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, South Hawaii

When: April 21, 6:00 AM HST to April 25, 2:00 PM 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5242235, 5242236.