High Surf in Hawaii, April 29 to 30, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, April 29 to 30, 2001
Start: 2001-04-29T08:00
End: 2001-04-30T18:00
Location: Hawaii

April 29 to 30, 2001 · NWS HFO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A storm low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 5 to 7 feet along the south-facing shores of Kauai.

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: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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 HFO wrote it up.

A storm low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 5 to 7 feet along the south-facing shores of Kauai.

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 29, 4:52 AM HST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 29, 4:52 AM HST, 3 hours 8 minutes before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...

THE FRONT MENTIONED IN YESTERDAYS DISCUSSION IS PASSING FAR TO THE
NORTH OF WAKE ISLAND THIS MORNING.  ITS ONLY EFFECT ON YOUR WEATHER
HAS BEEN THE WEAKENING OF THE SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WHICH
MAINTAINS THE EASTERLY TRADEWINDS.  AS THE FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE
FARTHER TO THE EAST, A SURFACE HIGH CENTER FOLLOWING TO THE WEST OF
THE FRONT WILL STRENTHEN THE RIDGE. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE
STRENTHENING OF THE TRADEWINDS TODAY.  WINDS WILL BE NORTHEAST 5 TO
15 KNOTS THIS MORNING STRENGTHENING TO 10 TO 20 KNOTS BY AFTERNOON
AND CONTINUING THROUGH TUESDAY EXCEPT WIND DIRECTION WILL TURN
TO THE EAST.  THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT RAINMAKERS HEADING YOUR WAY
SATELLITE PICTURES SHOW SCATTERED CUMULUS CLOUDS EMBEDDED IN THE
LOW LEVEL WINDFLOW UPSTREAM TO THE EAST.  LOOK FOR MAINLY FINE
WEATHER THROUGH TOMORROW.  PASSING CLOUD CLUSTERS MAY BRING AN
ISOLATED SHOWER OR TWO.

SEAS WILL BE 3 TO 5 FEET.  NO SIGNIFICANT SWELL IS EXPECTED
DURING THIS PERIOD.

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, Kauai

When: April 29, 8:00 AM HST to April 30, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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: 5242243.