High Surf in Hawaii, June 10 to 12, 2002

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, June 10 to 12, 2002
Start: 2002-06-10T10:00
End: 2002-06-12T16:00
Location: Hawaii

June 10 to 12, 2002 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A trade wind swell produced surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the island of Hawaii. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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.

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Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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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 trade wind swell produced surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the 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 Jun 10, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 10, 10:00 AM HST, 0 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS SYNOPTIC DISCUSSION AND GUIDANCE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
10 AM HST MON JUN 10 2002

SUMMARY...A BAND OF SHOWERS EAST OF THE BIG ISLAND DRIFTING WESTWARD
WILL BRING SHOWERS...SOME HEAVY WINDWARD AND MAUKA...AND MOVE OVER
THE STATE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. TRADE WINDS WILL
INCREASE AGAIN TODAY TO MODERATE LEVELS...AND STAY THERE THROUGH
MIDWEEK AT LEAST. SHOWERS WILL ALSO BECOME MORE ISOLATED BY
TUESDAY...WITH SUNNIER SKIES.

DISCUSSION...UPPER CIRCULATION NORTHEAST OF THE ISLANDS WITH A
TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE AREA. A SHORT WAVE ROTATING THROUGH THE
TROUGH WILL INCREASE SHOWER ACTIVITY THIS EVENING. A K INDEX OF 29
AT LIHUE MAY INDICATE ENOUGH INSTABILTY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF
THUNDERSTORMS AS THE SHORT WAVE MOVES INTO THE MOISTURE RICH SHOWER
ENVIRONMENT. THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WEST OF THE ISLAND WILL MOVE OVER
THE REGION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...WITH A SURFACE HIGH MOVING INTO
THE WATERS NORTHEAST OF HAWAII LATER THIS WEEK...AND THE SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE EXTENDING WEST ALONG 30N.

EXPECT TRADES TO REMAIN WITH US THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD...WITH A
SLIGHT INCREASE BEGINNING THURSDAY AS THE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES
SOUTHEASTWARD TOWARD 35N 140W. KELLY

.HFO...WARNINGS...WATCHES...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: June 10, 10:00 AM HST to June 12, 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, North and East Hawaii

When: June 10, 10:00 AM HST to June 12, 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, South Hawaii

When: June 10, 10:00 AM HST to June 12, 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, June 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: 5305366, 5305367, 5305368.