Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 14 to 16, 2002
Start: 2002-12-14T09:00
End: 2002-12-16T08:00
Location: Hawaii

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 deep storm low far northwest of the state produced surf of 12 to 25 feet along the west- and northwest-facing shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Dec 14, 5:00 AM HST, 4 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 14, 5:00 AM HST, 4 hours before

NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND

INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING SHOWS AN AREA OF
CLOUDS CENTERED OVER WAKE. THIS AREA OF CLOUDINESS...WITH A FEW
SHOWERS...IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IT/S WESTWARD MOVEMENT TODAY. LOOK
FOR MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES EARLY THIS MORNING TO GIVE WAY TO A GRADUAL
IMPROVEMENT AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. A SURFACE RIDGE IS LOCATED TO
YOUR NORTH...AND WILL CONTINUE TO BRING TRADEWINDS TO YOU BETWEEN 10
AND 15 KNOTS.

A NORTHWEST SWELL WILL REACH NEAR 8 FEET TODAY AND WILL THEN BEGIN
TO SUBSIDE.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM 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, Lanai

When: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM 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: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM 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: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM HST
Where: Molokai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu

When: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM HST
Where: Oahu forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When: December 14, 9:00 AM HST to December 16, 8:00 AM 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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2002

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: 5325306, 5325307, 5325308, 5325309, 5325310, 5325311.