Storm Surge in Washington, December 16, 2001

Name: Storm Surge in Washington, December 16, 2001
Start: 2001-12-16T05:30
End: 2001-12-16T11:30
Location: Washington

December 16, 2001 · NWS SEW · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy surf struck the Sandy Point/Birch Bay area sending water flowing across patios, decks and into homes. The surf, driven by 50 mph winds, was up to 10 feet high.

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 SEW wrote it up.

Heavy surf struck the Sandy Point/Birch Bay area sending water flowing across patios, decks and into homes. The surf, driven by 50 mph winds, was up to 10 feet high. Advanced warning allowed people to board up windows and secure property.

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 Seattle, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 16, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
230 AM PST SUN DEC 16 2001

.SYNOPSIS...A VERY STRONG AND MOIST WEATHER SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO
BRING HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS TO WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY. A COLD
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWING ONSHORE LATE TONIGHT...BRINGING AN END TO
THIS WET AND WINDY WEATHER. A COOLER AIR MASS IN THE WAKE OF THIS
SYSTEM WILL BRING SHOWERS WITH SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY. MORE
PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL MAINTAIN COOL AND WET WEATHER THE REST
OF THIS COMING WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...THE FIRST PART OF THIS ONE-TWO PUNCH HAS PROBABLY
PEAKED IN THE LAST COUPLE HOURS AS THE WARM FRONT SWEPT INLAND...BUT
NOT WITHOUT IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER THE SOUTH OLYMPICS. FOR
EXAMPLE 2.11 INCHES IN 5 HOURS AT WYNOOCHEE DAM.

VERY STRONG SWLY FLOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS MORNING WITH
STRONG OROGRAPHICS GIVING LITTLE BREAK IN PRECIP BEFORE THE NEXT
FRONTAL WAVE IMPACTS US AROUND MIDDAY TODAY. FLOODING STILL LOOKS
LIKELY ALTHOUGH PERHAPS DELAYED SOME IN THE CASCADES GIVEN THE SLOWER
THAN EXPECTED WARM UP AND SWITCH OVER TO RAIN.

WARM AIR HAS PENETRATED ALL BUT THE CASCADE PASSES THIS MORNING. SMP
AND LOWER PASSES ARE NOW GETTING FREEZING RAIN. WILL LOWER WINTER
STORM TO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PASSES THIS MORNING.

A MUCH COOLER AIR MASS SWEEPS IN MONDAY FOR A BIT OF A BREAK.
ALTHOUGH A DEVELOPING POLAR LOW WEST OF 150W IS SOMEWHAT INDICATED IN
THE AVIATION AND IS CARRIED ONSHORE LATER MONDAY.

EXTENDED...A STRONGER SYSTEM REACHES US TUESDAY AND THE AIR MASS
STAYS COOL. PATTERN IS NOT QUITE RIGHT FOR LOWLAND SNOW BUT A BIT OF
A MIX EARLY TUESDAY IS POSSIBLE HIGHER HILLS AND KITSAP PENINSULA.

A COOL FRONTAL SYSTEM IS STILL INDICATED TO MOVE ONSHORE WEDNESDAY
AND NEWER MODEL RUNS ARE CARRYING IT FARTHER NORTH FOR MORE OF A WET
AND WINDY PATTERN. ECMWF STILL HAS A RATHER WEAK SYSTEM FARTHER NORTH
BUT CANADIAN AND NCEP MODELS SWING STRONG LOW ACROSS NW WASHINGTON.
ANOTHER BREAK THU BEFORE A WARMUP AND WETTER FRI AND SAT. COLMAN

UIL ++9  SEA ++7  OLM ++7
.SEW...GALE WARNING...ALL WATERS EXCEPT ADMIRALTY INLET
       SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...ADMIRALTY INLET
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY CASCADE PASSES THIS MORNING
       HIGH WIND WATCH NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST

.KATX...VCP21/CSR21...OPERATIONAL.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 storm surge/tide. Local standard time, as filed.

Storm Surge/Tide, Whatcom

When: December 16, 5:30 AM PST to 11:30 AM PST
Where: Whatcom County, Birch Bay
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 48.830, -121.873 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Storm Surge/Tide: Water pushed ashore above the normal tide by a storm’s winds and low pressure.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, December 2001 The 2001 hurricane season

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: 5274552.