High Surf, Kauai
- When
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 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 in Hawaii, February 20 to 22, 2001
A storm low far northwest of the state generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north and northwest shores of all the Hawaiian Islands.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
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.
A storm low far northwest of the state generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north and northwest shores of all the Hawaiian 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 20, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 20, 10:00 AM HST, 3 hours before
AFDHI HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST TUE FEB 20 2001 SUMMARY...SKIES WILL BE SUNNY TODAY...EXCEPT FOR CLOUDS OVER WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS. ONLY A FEW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED. THE TRADE WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND BE REPLACED BY LOCAL LAND AND SEA BREEZES WEDNESDAY. DISCUSSION...THE GAME PLAN REMAINS UNCHANGED. THE SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH WILL SAG SOUTHWARD AS A TROUGH AND COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE STATE FROM THE NORTHWEST. THE TRADES WILL VEER AROUND TO THE SOUTHEAST PLACING THE SMALLER ISLANDS IN THE WIND SHADOW OF THE BIG ISLAND. WITH LIGHTER PREVAILING WINDS...LOCAL LAND AND SEA BREEZES WILL SET UP STARTING TONIGHT. ISOLATED SHOWERS WILL THEN FAVOR THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS OPPOSED TO THE NIGHT AND MORNING. THE FRONT IS NOT EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH THE STATE FROM THE NORTHWEST. IT WILL INSTEAD PROBABLY LAY OUT IN A WEST TO EAST FASHION TO THE NORTH THEN SAG DOWN AS THE TRADES REESTABLISH THEMSELVES THIS WEEKEND. RAINFALL TOTALS WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE SHOULD BE SMALL. SURF...THE FORERUNNERS OF A NORTHWEST SWELL ARRIVED AT BUOY ONE AT 11 PM AND SLOWLY ROSE THROUGH THE NIGHT. SURF COMPUTES BASED ON THE BUOY DATA PUTS 8 FOOT SURF ON KAUAI AND OAHU NORTH SHORES BEFORE NOON. THE NORTH SHORE SURF WILL GRADUALLY RISE REACHING 12 FEET BY 3 PM. WEST SHORE SURF WILL BE SLIGHTLY LOWER. CRAIG. .PHFO.....WARNIN GS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTH AND WEST SHORES ALL ISLANDS
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Lanai
- When
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 AM 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 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 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
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 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
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- February 20, 1:00 PM HST to February 22, 2:00 AM HST
- Where
- West Hawaii forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 21.455, -157.961 (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 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: 5232957, 5232958, 5232959, 5232960, 5232961, 5232962, 5232963.