Hawaii, 2001

High Wind in Hawaii, November 26 to 27, 2001

November 26 to 27, 2001 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An approaching cold front increased south and southwest winds to 40 to 45 mph, with gusts to 50 mph. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
3

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.

An approaching cold front increased south and southwest winds to 40 to 45 mph, with gusts to 50 mph. However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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 26, 8:30 PM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 26, 8:30 PM HST, 2 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST MON NOV 26 2001

SUMMARY...KONA LOW PRESSURE FORMING WEST OF KAUAI WILL BRING HEAVY
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS UP OVER THE STATE ALONG WITH GALE FORCE
SOUTHERLY WINDS. THESE CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY
AS THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER GETS ORGANIZED. WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL
SHOULD EASE OFF TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE LOW BEGINS TO PULL AWAY TO THE
WEST.

DISCUSSION...A KONA LOW IS IN THE FORMATION PROCESS WEST OF THE
STATE. SOUTHERLY FLOW EAST OF THE DEVELOPING LOW IS EXTREMELY
STRONG...WITH DOPPLER RADAR SHOWING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 50 TO 60 KT
AT 1400 FEET OVER THE LEE SLOPES OF MT WAIALEALE...AND 40 TO 50 KT
OVER THE WATERS SOUTH OF KAUAI AT 500 FT ELEVATION. A HIGH WIND
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE ISLANDS FROM KAUAI TO MAUI COUNTY
AND A GALE WARNING FOR ALL HAWAIIAN WATERS. MEANWHILE THE FRONT...
OR LEADING CONVERGENCE BAND OUT AHEAD OF THE DEVELOPING LOW IS NOW
OVER WESTERN KAUAI...WITH HEAVY RAINFALL BEING REPORTED AT KOKEE AND
HANALEI. DOPPLER RADAR SHOWS HEAVY RAINS OVER AND SOUTH OF KAUAI...
AND MOVING RAPIDLY NORTH OVER SOUTHWEST KAUAI. WITH THESE HEAVY
SHOWERS TRAINING...FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE IF NOT LIKELY IN THIS
AREA AND SO A FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR SOUTHWEST
KAUAI. ALSO...WITH THE ITCZ...INTER-TROPICAL CONVERGENCE ZONE...
BEING PULLED NORTHWARD OVER THE STATE BY THIS DEVELOPING KONA LOW...
HEAVY RAINS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY POSSIBLY MOVE UP OVER ANY PART OF
THE STATE OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48 HOURS. THUS THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH
HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO THE ENTIRE STATE AT 830 PM HST.

FORECAST MODELS KEEP THIS DEVELOPING KONA LOW NEARBY TO KAUAI
THROUGH TUESDAY...THEN SLOWLY EASE IT OFF TO THE WEST. THIS SHOULD
ALLOW THE WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN TO RELAX BEGINNING TUESDAY NIGHT. BUT
CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO BE A FACTOR IN OUR
WEATHER THROUGH THE END OF THIS WEEK.

SURF REMAINS HIGH ON THE NORTHWEST FACING SHORES OF ALL THE ISLANDS.
BUOY 51001 IS CURRENTLY SHOWING SOME INCREASE IN SWELL HEIGHTS
MOVING PAST IT AT THIS TIME...SO SURF IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE
10 TO 25 FOOT RANGE WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER SETS THROUGH TUESDAY
MORNING AT LEAST. FARRELL

.PHFO.....WARNINGS.....FLOOD FOR SW KAUAI. HIGH WIND ENTIRE STATE
.                      GALE FOR ALL HAWAII WATERS
.         WATCHES......FLOOD FOR ENTIRE STATE
.         ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF NORTHWEST SHORES
.         OUTLOOKS.....HYDROLOGIC REPLACED WITH WATCH AT 830 PM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, North and East Hawaii

When
November 26, 10:30 PM HST to November 27, 3:30 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, South Hawaii

When
November 26, 10:30 PM HST to November 27, 3:30 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, West Hawaii

When
November 26, 10:30 PM HST to November 27, 3:30 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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: 5273104, 5273105, 5273106.