High Surf, Kauai
- When
- February 23, 11:00 AM HST to February 24, 4:00 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, February 23 to 24, 2002
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of Kauai and Oahu. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.
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
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.
A storm low far northwest of Hawaii generated surf of 10 to 15 feet along the north- and northwest-facing shores of Kauai and Oahu. No serious property damage or injuries 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 Feb 23, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 10:00 AM HST, 1 hour before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI 10 AM HST SAT FEB 23 2002 SUMMARY...STABLE LOW CLOUDS WILL BURN OFF TO REVEAL MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES THIS AFTERNOON...BUT OUR WEATHER WILL BECOME WETTER BEGINNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND LASTING INTO TUESDAY. AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT...THE RETURN OF MOISTURE FROM THE EAST...AND A FORECAST CUTOFF LOW ALOFT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO A WET BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. DRIER CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY RETURN LATER NEXT WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN ONCE AGAIN. DISCUSSION...THE STABLE LOW CLOUDS AROUND THE STATE THIS MORNING ARE BEGINNING TO CLEAR FROM THE EAST...SO SKIES SHOULD BE MOSTLY CLEAR BY AFTERNOON ACROSS THE STATE TODAY. THE LEADING EDGE OF A BAND OF OVERCAST LAYERED CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT IS ABOUT 240 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI...MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST AT 17 MILES PER HOUR. MODELS SHOW THIS FRONTAL BAND REACHING KAUAI SUNDAY NIGHT OR EARLY MONDAY...BUT THEN LOSING ITS DEFINITION AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE STATE. HOWEVER...MOISTURE WITHIN THE CONVERGENT SOUTHEAST FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT...COMBINED WITH INCREASED INSTABILITY DUE TO A DEEPENING TROUGH OVER THE ISLANDS...WILL RESULT IN RAINFALL LASTING THROUGH TUESDAY. RAINFALL MAY BE HEAVY OVER THE EASTERN END OF THE STATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. RAINFALL WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF AND SKIES WILL GRADUALLY CLEAR WEDNESDAY AND THEREAFTER AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES IN...TRADES RESUME...AND THE UPPER TROUGH CUTS OFF AND MOVES AWAY TO THE NORTHEAST. SURF...A HIGH SURF ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST SHORES. SURF HEIGHTS ARE FORECAST TO RISE THROUGH THE DAY AND EVENING...EVENTUALLY REACHING 15 FEET OVERNIGHT. POWELL .HFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE . WATCHES......NONE . ADVISORIES...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTHWEST SHORES
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Oahu
- When
- February 23, 11:00 AM HST to February 24, 4:00 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
- Winter Storm in Montana, February 23 to 24, 2002
- High Wind in California, February 23 to 24, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 23 to 24, 2002
- High Wind in Montana, February 23, 2002
- High Wind in Nevada, February 23, 2002
- Damaging Wind in Florida, February 23, 2002
- High Wind in California, February 23, 2002
- High Wind in California, February 23, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 23 to 24, 2002
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5281090, 5281091.