High Surf, Kauai
- When
- October 19, 9:00 AM HST to October 23, 1:00 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, October 19 to 23, 2001
A trade wind swell generated surf of 4 to 8 feet along the northeast- and east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, and the Island of Hawaii.
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
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.
A trade wind swell generated surf of 4 to 8 feet along the northeast- and east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, and 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 Oct 19, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 19, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 4 AM HST FRI OCT 19 2001 SUMMARY...TRADE WIND FLOW WILL CONTINUE FIRM WITH JUST MINOR SHOWER ACTIVITY AND MUCH SUNSHINE THRU THE WEEKEND. DISCUSSION...THE ISLANDS CURRENTLY LIE IN A RELATIVELY BENIGN REGION BETWEEN TWO UPPER LEVEL LOWS. THIS SITUATION WITH A SURFACE HIGH MAINTAINING MODERATE TO FRESH TRADE WIND SPEEDS IS LIKELY TO CONTINUE THRU MONDAY. HOWEVER A PEEL OFF LOW FROM THE CURRENT ONE NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS IS PROJECTED TO MIGRATE TO A POSITION NORTH OF THE ISLANDS ON TUESDAY. THE AVIATION AND MRF MODELS PREFER A STRONGER AND CLOSER LOW POSITION THAN THE THE NOGAPS. THE LATTERS SOLUTION WOULD LEAVE ISLAND WEATHER NEARLY UNCHANGED. THE LONGER RANGED MRF FURTHER PROJECTS THE SEASONS FIRST DEEP TROUGHED COLD FRONT WITH LARGE NORTHERLY SURF AT THE END OF NEXT WEEK. ALTHO WE REMAIN SOMEWHAT SKEPTICAL AND NOT FULLY COMMITTED TO THE MRFS INTERESTING PROJECTION WE WILL RETAIN..RATHER THAN FLIP FLOP..THE CURRENT WETTER LOSS OF TRADE WIND FORECAST PACKAGE FOR NEXT WEEK. MATSUDA .PHFO......WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...NONE
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna
- When
- October 19, 9:00 AM HST to October 23, 1:00 PM HST
- Where
- North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna forecast zone
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- October 19, 9:00 AM HST to October 23, 1:00 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
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, October 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: 5271588, 5271589, 5271590.