Hawaii, 2001

High Surf in Hawaii, February 10 to 14, 2001

February 10 to 14, 2001 · NWS HFO · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

Strong east to east/southeast winds east of the state generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east shores of all the islands.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
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.

Strong east to east/southeast winds east of the state generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east shores of all the islands.

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 Feb 10, 8:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 8:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
8 AM HST SAT FEB 10 2001

...CORRECTION FOR TIME OF ISSUANCE OF HIGH SURF ADVISORY...

SUMMARY...PARTLY CLOUDY TO CLOUDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
SUNDAY...WITH A FEW SHOWERS MAINLY OVER WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS
OF THE ISLANDS. THERE IS STILL A CHANCE FOR HEAVY RAINFALL...MAINLY
OVER KAUAI...AND PERHAPS OVER THE BIG ISLAND FROM AFTERNOON
CONVECTION. EAST SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL AFFECT ALL ISLANDS IN THE 10
TO 25 MPH RANGE...PERHAPS A BIT STRONGER MAUI EASTWARD.

DISCUSSION...THE TROUGH IN THE UPPER FLOW REMAINS JUST WEST OF THE
STATE WITH EXTENSIVE CLOUDINESS AND SHOWERS ALONG ITS EAST SIDE. THE
TROUGH HAS APPARTANTLY BROKEN INTO SEPERATE CONVECTIVE CENTERS...
WITH SEVERAL CIRCULATION CENTERS APPEARING A BIT CHAOTIC AT
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. THE MOST PRONOUNCED OF
THESE APPEAR TO BE AT 19N 167W AND 14N 161W. THE ONE TO THE SOUTH OF
KAUAI HAS A PRONOUNCED CONVECTIVE AREA TO ITS EAST...WITH THE CELLS
MOVING NORTHWARD BUT WEAKENING NORTH OF THE CENTER NEAR 18N. THE ONE
TO THE WEST HAS ONLY A FEW ISOLATED CONVECTIVE CELLS NEAR IT AND
APPEARS TO BE THE MAIN PIVOT POINT FOR ALL THE ACTIVITY NEAR AND TO
THE SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS. AT THIS TIME THERE IS NO CONVECTIVE
ACTIVITY THREATENING THE ISLANDS...JUST A FEW SHOWERS EMBEDDED IN
THE EAST SOUTHEAST PREVAILING WIND FLOW...WITH SOME OF THESE
BRINGING LIGHT SHOWERS MAINLY TO WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS OF THE
ISLANDS. THE EAST SOUTHEAST WIND FLOW GETS BROKEN UP BY THE ISLANDS
THEMSELVES...AND SO WINDS ON LAND ARE A BIT VARIABLE IN DIRECTION AT
THE SURFACE.

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......FLASH FLOOD KAUAI TIL 4 PM HST
.                      FLASH FLOOD OAHU CANCELLED AT 8 AM HST
.         ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAUI EASTWARD
.                      HIGH SURF\ ADVISORY EAST SHORES AT 830 AM HST

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 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, Lanai

When
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 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
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 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
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 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, Oahu

When
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Hawaii

When
February 10, 8:00 AM HST to February 14, 8:00 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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5232936, 5232937, 5232938, 5232939, 5232940, 5232941, 5232942.