High Surf in Hawaii, January 27 to 31, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, January 27 to 31, 2002
Start: 2002-01-27T12:00
End: 2002-01-31T23:59
Location: Hawaii

January 27 to 31, 2002 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong trade wind swell produced surf of 4 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii.

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 produced surf of 4 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii.

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 Jan 27, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 27, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST SUN JAN 27 2002

SUMMARY...SHOWERS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY EASED SINCE YESTERDAY AND LAST
NIGHT...TODAYS SKIES WILL EVEN HAVE SOME SUN. HOWEVER CONDITIONS
REMAIN FAVORABLE FOR PERIODS OF FREQUENT SHOWERS TOMORROW THRU
THE MIDDLE OF THE COMING NEW WEEK.

DISCUSSION...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN
RESPONSIBLE FOR YESTERDAY AFTERNOONS AND LAST NIGHTS
STATEWIDE DOWNPOUR HAS CLEARED TO THE EAST. YET ANOTHER
POTENTIAL SHOWER ENHANCING UPPER TROUGH WILL BE FORMING TO
THE WEST OF THE ISLANDS TOMORROW. BOTH AVIATION AND NOGAPS
MODELS HAVE IT CLEARING AND INTRODUCING MORE LONG LASTING
STABLE AIR THURSDAY.  MEANWHILE THE STRONG TRADE WINDS USUALLY
ASSOCIATED WITH A STRONG HIGH NOW TO OUR NORTH ARE BEING
COMPROMISED BY A NEARBY WEAK SHALLOW TROUGH AT THE SURFACE.
THIS TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY WEAKEN AND DRIFT AWAY FROM
THE ISLANDS RESULTING IN GUSTY TRADE WINDS WEDNESDAY.  MATSUDA

.HFO.....WARNINGS.....NONE
.        WATCHES......NONE
.        ADVISORIES...NONE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: January 27, 12:00 PM HST to January 31, 11:59 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, North and East Hawaii

When: January 27, 12:00 PM HST to January 31, 11:59 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, South Hawaii

When: January 27, 12:00 PM HST to January 31, 11:59 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5278610, 5278611, 5278612.