High Surf, Kauai
- When
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 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, November 18 to 21, 2001
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 12 to 20 feet along the west- clockwise through north-facing shores of all the 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.
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 12 to 20 feet along the west- clockwise through north-facing shores of all the 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 Nov 18, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 18, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST SUN NOV 18 2001 SUMMARY...THE DRY PATTERN SHOULD CONTINUE THRU THE COMING NEW WEEK. TRADE WINDS EXPECTED TO RETURN TEMPORARILY FOR MOST OF THE LONG THANKSGIVING WEEK END. DISCUSSION...THE DRY STABLE RIDGE WITH ITS CLOUD INHIBITING LOW TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS BETWEEN 3 AND 4 THOUSAND FEET SHOULD PERSIST OVER THE ISLANDS THRU TUESDAY. HOWEVER THE JUST RECEIVED AVIATION MODEL IS PROJECTING STRONGER PRESSURES BUILDING BETWEEN HERE AND THE MAINLAND AS WELL AS NORTH OF ISLANDS. SUCH A SCENARIO WOULD BRING MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WINDS FROM WEDNESDAY THRU MOST OF NEXT WEEKEND. STILL STABLE MIDLEVEL 500MB RIDGING REMAINS FIRMLY ENTRENCHED OVER THE STATE FOR RELATIVELY DRY CONDITIONS TO CONTINUE THRU THE WEEK. SURF...NO SIGNIFICANT SWELLS HAVE YET ARRIVED AT THE NORTHWEST BUOY AS OF 10 AM. MATSUDA .PHFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTHWEST FACING 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
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 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
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 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
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 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
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
High Surf, West Hawaii
- When
- November 18, 10:00 AM HST to November 21, 2:00 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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, November 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: 5272306, 5272307, 5272308, 5272309, 5272310, 5272311, 5272312.