Hawaii, 2001

High Surf in Hawaii, July 20 to 23, 2001

July 20 to 23, 2001 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 6 feet along the east-facing shores of the island of Hawaii.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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
2

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 along the east-facing shores of the island of Hawaii.

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 Jul 20, 4:00 PM HST, 1 hour earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 20, 4:00 PM HST, 1 hour before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
4 PM HST FRI JUL 20 2001

SUMMARY...MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE STATE.
SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA SECTIONS DURING NIGHTS AND
MORNINGS.

DISCUSSION...LITTLE CHANGE IS INDICATED IN OUR WEATHER PATTERN OVER
THE NEXT WEEK OR SO. THE  HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR 40N 145W WHICH
IS PRODUCING OUR TRADES WILL MOVE VERY LITTLE AND REMAIN NEAR ITS
PRESENT STRENGTH. RAINFALL WILL BE THE USUAL SUMMERTIME TRADE
SHOWERS OCCASIONALLY ENHANCED BY DISTURBANCES COMING IN FROM THE
TROPICS TO THE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF HAWAII. WE DO HAVE A NEAR
EQUATORIAL OR MONSOONAL TROUGH ACROSS THE PACIFIC FROM CENTRAL
AMERICA TO NEAR THE PHILIPPINES ROUGHLY BETWEEN 10N AND 15N WITH A
COUPLE OF ACTIVE SPOTS MAINLY SOUTH OF MEXICO.

SURF...SURF HEIGHTS ARE GRADUALLY DECLINING. AFTERNOON REPORTS STILL
HAD SOME 6 FOOT SURF HEIGHTS FROM ALONG THE SOUTH SHORES. THE HIGH
SURF ADVISORY MAY BE LOWERED LATER THIS EVENING. ROSENDAL

.PHFO......WARNINGS.....NONE
.          WATCHES......NONE
.          ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF EAST AND SOUTH SHORES

*********************************************************************
FOR FIRE FIGHTING PURPOSES ONLY...THE FOLLOWING WINDS ARE BASED ON
THE MEDIUM RANGE FORECAST MODEL. ALLOWANCES ARE NOT MADE FOR DIURNAL
AND TERRAIN VARIATIONS BUT WINDS TEND TO BE STRONGEST AND MORE
TURBULENT DURING THE DAY AND OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS. TO READ BELOW
09020 IS A WIND FROM 90 DEGREES OR FROM THE EAST AT 20 KNOTS.

DATE   DAY  ALL ISLANDS
JUL 20 FRI     08020
    21 SAT     08020
    22 SUN     09020
    23 MON     09020
    24 TUE     09020
    25 WED     09020
    26 THU     08015
    27 FRI     07015
    28 SAT     08015
    29 SUN     08015

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, North and East Hawaii

When
July 20, 5:00 PM HST to July 23, 4:00 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, South Hawaii

When
July 20, 5:00 PM HST to July 23, 4:00 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii 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, July 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: 5259823, 5259824.