High Surf, North and East Hawaii
- When
- February 26, 8:00 AM HST to 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)
High Surf in Hawaii, February 26, 2002
A strong trade wind swell generated surf of 5 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
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 strong trade wind swell generated surf of 5 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.
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 26, 4:50 AM HST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 4:50 AM HST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
NARRATIVE SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION FOR WAKE ISLAND A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER WAKE PROMOTED WEAK AND VARIABLE WIND CONDITIONS. SATELLITE IMAGES SHOWED ONLY SCATTERED TO LOCALLY BROKEN STRATOCUMULUS CLOUDS NEAR THE ISLAND. A FRONT GRADUALLY APPROACHING FROM THE NORTHWEST WILL EVENTUALLY BREAK DOWN THE RIDGE AND INTRODUCE MORE SIGNIFICANT CLOUD COVER TO THE REGION...BUT THESE CHANGES WILL LIKELY ONLY BECOME NOTICEABLE IN JUST OVER 24 HOURS. UNTIL THEN...LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED. THE WIND WILL REMAIN WEAK AND VARIABLE...THOUGH MORE OFTEN THAN NOT FROM THE EAST TO SOUTHEAST. SWELL WILL BE FROM THE NORTH TO NORTHEAST AT 5 TO 7 FEET.
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, South Hawaii
- When
- February 26, 8:00 AM HST to 4:00 PM HST
- Where
- South Hawaii 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
- Extreme Cold in Georgia, February 26 to 28, 2002
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 26 to 27, 2002
- Heavy Snow in North Carolina, February 26 to 27, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Illinois, February 26, 2002
- Heavy Snow in West Virginia, February 26 to 27, 2002
- Winter Storm in Indiana, February 26, 2002
- Winter Storm in Michigan, February 26 to 27, 2002
- High Wind in Alaska, February 26, 2002
- Strong Wind in Hawaii, February 26 to 27, 2002
- Heavy Rain in Hawaii, February 26, 2002
- Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 26, 2002
- Flash Flood in Hawaii, February 26, 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: 5281095, 5281096.