High Surf in Hawaii, January 24 to 26, 2001

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 24 to 26, 2001
Start: 2001-01-24T08:00
End: 2001-01-26T18:00
Location: Hawaii

January 24 to 26, 2001 · NWS HFO · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A trade wind swell caused surf of 4 to 8 feet along the east 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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 caused surf of 4 to 8 feet along the east 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 24, 4:57 AM HST, 3 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 24, 4:57 AM HST, 3 hours 3 minutes before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

WINDS HAVE GONE SOUTHERLY AND WILL VEER TO THE SOUTHWEST AS THE
SURFACE RIDGE MOVES SOUTH OF YOU THIS MORNING.  THE WIND WILL BE
LIGHT SOUTHWESTERLY THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON AND FAIR WEATHER WILL
PREVAIL.  A WEAKENING FRONT WILL APPROACH WAKE FROM THE WEST TONIGHT
BRINGING AN INCREASING CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN AS IT SAGS SOUTHWARD
THROUGH THE NIGHT.  BY FRIDAY MORNING THE WINDS WILL BE NORTHERLY AT
15 TO 20 KNOTS AS A FOLLOWING HIGH BUILDS IN RAPIDLY FROM THE WEST
AND PUSHES THE FRONTAL BAND THROUGH WAKE.  NORTHEAST WINDS 15 TO 25
KNOTS WILL PREVAIL LATER IN THE DAY ON FRIDAY WITH GRADUALLY
IMPROVING WEATHER CONDITIONS AS THE FRONT MOVES SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH
OF WAKE.  RATHER LIGHT AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED WITH
THE FRONT BUT VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS ARE LIKELY ALONG WITH LOW
CEILINGS.  A NORTHERLY SWELL OF 3 TO 5 FEET WILL GRADUALLY BUILD TO
5 TO 7 FEET BrY FRIDAY.

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 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 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 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 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 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 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 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When: January 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 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 24, 8:00 AM HST to January 26, 6:00 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5227598, 5227599, 5227600, 5227601, 5227602, 5227603.