High Surf, Kauai
- When
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 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 in Hawaii, March 9 to 14, 2001
Intense storm low northeast of Japan generated surf of 10 to 15 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.
Intense storm low northeast of Japan generated surf of 10 to 15 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 Mar 9, 10:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 10:00 AM HST, 5 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST FRI MAR 9 2001 SUMMARY...PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES...LOCALLY BRISK TRADE WINDS...AND PASSING SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY. DRYER THOUGH STILL BREEZY WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY. DISCUSSION...A SOMEWHAT TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN A SURFACE RIDGE TO THE NORTH AND THE NEAR EQUATORIAL TROUGH TO THE SOUTH WILL KEEP THE MODERATE TO FRESH TRADES BLOWING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ABOVE THE TRADES AND JUST WEST OF THE STATE LIES A TROUGH ALOFT. COMPUTER MODELS WEAKEN AND MOVE THE TROUGH NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS HAWAII BUT DO NOT SHOW ANY INCREASE IN RAINFALL AMOUNTS. THE TROUGH IS ENHANCING THE CLOUDS WEST AND SOUTHWEST OF THE ISLANDS HOWEVER SO AS IT PASSES OVERHEAD THE SHOWERS MAY INCREASE IN INTENSITY. THE CLOUDS WILL BE SCOOTING TO THE WEST AT 20 TO 25 MPH...SO EVEN IF THERE ARE HEAVY SHOWERS TONIGHT THEY WILL BE SHORT IN DURATION. DRYER CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED ONCE THE UPPER TROUGH PASSES TO THE EAST AND A TRAILING UPPER RIDGE MOVES OVERHEAD. SURF...THE FORERUNNERS OF A NORTHWEST SWELL PASSED UNDER BUOY ONE BETWEEN 5 AND 6 AM HST. WITH A PERIOD OF 20 SECONDS...THE SWELL WILL REACH KAUAI AT ABOUT NOON...OAHU AT 1 TO 2 PM...MAUI AT ABOUT 4 PM AND THE BIG ISLAND AROUND SUNDOWN. SURF ALONG NORTHWEST FACING SHORES WILL RISE RAPIDLY TO 12 TO 18 FEET. CRAIG. .PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NW 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
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 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
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 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
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 8:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 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
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 8:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- March 9, 3:00 PM HST to March 14, 8:00 PM 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
- Heavy Snow in Massachusetts, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Heavy Snow in Connecticut, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Heavy Snow in New Hampshire, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Heavy Snow in Rhode Island, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 9, 2001
- Winter Storm in New York, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Winter Weather in Vermont, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Winter Weather in New York, March 9 to 10, 2001
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 9, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 9, 2001
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, March 9, 2001
- Winter Storm in Vermont, March 9 to 10, 2001
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 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: 5235495, 5235496, 5235497, 5235498, 5235499, 5235500, 5235501.