High Surf in Hawaii, February 10 to 13, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, February 10 to 13, 2002
Start: 2002-02-10T12:00
End: 2002-02-13T16:00
Location: Hawaii

February 10 to 13, 2002 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A stationary low pressure area around 850 miles east/northeast of the state produced surf of 5 to 10 feet along the northeast-facing shores of Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. However, there were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

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 Feb 10, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 10, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST SUN FEB 10 2002

SUMMARY...BREEZY COOL WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY AS A
STRONG HIGH MOVES BY TO THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. MILDER...WETTER
AND LESS WINDY WEATHER IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY AS AN
UPPER LOW GETS SITUATED WEST OF THE ISLANDS AND DEVELOPS A WEAK
SURFACE TROUGH OVER THE STATE. THIS WETTER TRADE WIND WEATHER WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE COMING WEEKEND.

DISCUSSION...A STRONG HIGH NORTH OF THE ISLANDS WILL MOVENORTHEAST
AND WEAKEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE ISLANDS. IN ADDITION...A
SURFACE TROUGH EAST OF THE STATE...ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT THAT
PASSED THROUGH THE STATE ON FRIDAY...WILL DRIFT WESTWARD. THUS WINDS
WILL BE DECREASING FROM BOTH CAUSES...WHILE TEMPERATURES AND
HUMIDITIES WILL BE INCREASING AS THE TROUGH MOVES WEST. A MID-LEVEL
LOW DROPPING DOWN WEST OF THE STATE WILL ANCHOR THE SURFACE TROUGH
OVER THE STATE BY WEDNESDAY...AND THIS WILL BEGIN A RAPID INCREASE
IN MOISTURE AS AIR FLOWS INTO THE TROUGH FROM THE EAST AND
SOUTHEAST. THUS MILDER...MOISTER AND LESS WINDY WEATHER WILL BE IN
STORE FOR THE ISLANDS FOR THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.

AS THE FETCH PRODUCING OUR NORTHERLY SWELL HAS BECOME MORE
NORTHEASTERLY...IT WILL NOW BEGIN TO AFFECT EAST AND NORTHEAST
SHORES MORE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. THUS THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY HAS
BEEN LOWERED FOR THE NORTH FACING SHORES OF KAUAI AND OAHU...AND
LANAI...BUT KEPT UP FOR THE OTHER ISLANDS. AND THE HIGH SURF
ADVISORY FOR THE EAST FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS HAS BEEN
CONTINUED. FARRELL

.HFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.        WATCHES......NONE
.        ADVISORIES...SMALL CRAFT ALL WATERS
.                  ...HIGH SURF NORTH SHORES MOLOKAI...MAUI AND THE
.                     BIG ISLAND...EAST SHORES ALL ISLANDS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Maui

When: February 10, 12:00 PM HST to February 13, 4:00 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, North and East Hawaii

When: February 10, 12:00 PM HST to February 13, 4:00 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)

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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5281078, 5281079.