Hawaii, 2001

High Surf in Hawaii, January 11 to 14, 2001

January 11 to 14, 2001 · NWS HFO · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A deep storm low far northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 20 feet on north- and northwest-facing shores and 12 to 15 feet on west-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. The surf on the 12th was especially noteworthy in that the Kauai County Water Safety department closed all beaches west of the Hanalei lifeguard station because of the danger posed by the high surf; and on Oahu, water…

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.

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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.

A deep storm low far northwest of the state caused surf of 15 to 20 feet on north- and northwest-facing shores and 12 to 15 feet on west-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. The surf on the 12th was especially noteworthy in that the Kauai County Water Safety department closed all beaches west of the Hanalei lifeguard station because of the danger posed by the high surf; and on Oahu, water covered several roads near Ehukai and Laniakea beaches on the North Shore and Maili and Makaha beaches on the western shore.

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 Jan 11, 3:28 PM HST, 2 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 11, 3:28 PM HST, 2 hours 32 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 PM HST THU JAN 11 2001

SUMMARY...TRADE WINDS HAVE BROKEN THRU FOR ALL ISLANDS BUT KAUAI
          THIS AFTERNOON AS THE SHEARLINE DISSIPATES.

DISCUSSION...THE LEADING EDGE OF THE CLOUD BAND ASSOCIATED WITH THE
APPROACHING SHEAR LINE IS ABOUT 135 NM NORTHWEST OF KAUAI.  THIS
SHEARLINE IS MOVING EAST AND HAS SLOWED TO AROUND 10 KTS. SOME
SHOWERS AND A FEW TSTMS CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT BUT
HARE MOVING NORTHEAST AND REMAIN MORE THAN 60 NM WEST OF THE ISLAND.

THIS SHEARLINE IS DISSIPATING AS TRADE WINDS STRENGTHEN AND MAY NOT
REACH KAUAI. THE RESULT WILL LIKELY BE SOME INCREASING CLOUDS FOR
KAUAI BUT NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF SHOWERS AT THIS TIME.

THERE IS A WEAK TROUGH ALOFT MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS WHICH WILL ADD
SOME INSTABILITY OVER THE ISLANDS. THIS WILL HAVE A TENDENCY TO
ENHANCE ANY SHOWER ACTIVITY OVER THE ISLANDS THRU TOMORROW.

SO...AT THIS TIME...I AM BACKING OFF ANY MAJOR PRECIPITATION FOR
KAUAI AS THE TRADE WINDS REINSTATE ACROSS THE ISLANDS. HOWEVER...
THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SOME SHOWERS OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE
LARGER ISLANDS THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO HEATING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR
THIS AFTERNOON CONVECTION WILL OCCUR AGAIN TOMORROW.

HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BUILD LEADING TO TRADE WINDS OF 10 TO
15 KTS FOR ALL THE ISLANDS. THIS WILL ALLOW THE MORE NORMAL
WINDWARD AND MAUKA TRADE WIND SHOWERS TO DEVELOP.

SURF...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR A NORTHWEST SWELL OF
15 TO 20 FT...SURF INCREASING AROUND 9 PM TONIGHT FOR OAHU AND
PEAKING TOMORROW.

OLSON

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.         WATCHES......NONE
.         ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF.

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
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 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, Lanai

When
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 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
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 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
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 AM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 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
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 AM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When
January 11, 6:00 PM HST to January 14, 4:00 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, January 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: 5227577, 5227578, 5227579, 5227580, 5227581, 5227582, 5227583.