High Surf, Kauai
- When
- February 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 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 23 to 25, 2001
A storm low near the Aleutians produced surf of 10 to 12 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 near the Aleutians produced surf of 10 to 12 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 23, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before
AFDHI HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 830 PM HST FRI FEB 23 2001 SUMMARY...POTENTIAL RAINMAKER TO ARRIVE KAUAI SUNDAY AS WINDS TURN MORE SOUTHERLY. UNTIL THEN MOST ISLAND AREAS SHOULD BE RAINFREE... ONLY SPOTTY SHORTLIVED SHOWERS. DISCUSSION...NO NEW INFORMATION SINCE LAST DISCUSSION. MODELS CONTINUE TO MOVE A FRONT NOW 250 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI OVER THE STATE SUNDAY/MONDAY. ITS SUPPORT..AN UPPER TROUGH..IS PROJECTED TO DEEPEN AND RACE AHEAD OF THE FRONTS LOWER MOISTURE WHILE CROSSING THE SATE. THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE HEAVIER RAINFALL WILL FAVOR THE KAUAI END OF THE STATE WHILE LIGHTER AND LESS NUMEROUS..PERHAPS EVENL STALLED..SHOWERS ELSEWHERE. MATSUDA .PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTH AND WEST SHORES
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 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 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 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 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 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 AM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- February 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 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 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 AM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- February 23, 10:00 PM HST to February 25, 3:00 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
- Avalanche in Wyoming, February 23, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Texas, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 23, 2001
- Ice Storm in Nebraska, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Iowa, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, February 23 to 25, 2001
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Illinois, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm in Iowa, February 23, 2001
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, February 23 to 24, 2001
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 23 to 25, 2001
- Heavy Snow in Utah, February 23 to 24, 2001
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: 5232965, 5232966, 5233009, 5233010, 5233011, 5233012, 5233013.