Hawaii, 2001

High Surf in Hawaii, January 14, 2001

January 14, 2001 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 6 feet on the eastern shores of all the Hawaiian 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
6

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 trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 6 feet on the eastern 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 Jan 14, 4:59 AM HST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 14, 4:59 AM HST, 3 hours 1 minute before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

MOISTURE AND CLOUDS ARE INCREASING IN THE TRADE WIND FLOW UPSTREAM
FROM WAKE WITH SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATING SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY
NEARING THE ISLAND.  WINDS WILL SLOWLY VEER IN TIME AS A DISTANT
FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  MOISTURE WILL ALSO LIKELY INCREASE
AS WELL.

AS A RESULT...EXPECT A GENERALLY PARTLY CLOUDY SKY WITH A CHANCE FOR
SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY TOMORROW.

THERE IS A NbORTHWEST SWELL UP TO 10 FEET OR SO POSSIBLE THRU
TOMORROW AS ANOTHER SYSTEM COMES OFF THE COAST OF JAPAN AND
INTENSIFIES.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

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

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
January 14, 8:00 AM HST to 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
January 14, 8:00 AM HST to 8:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu 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, 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: 5227584, 5227585, 5227586, 5227587, 5227588, 5227589.