High Surf in Hawaii, December 20 to 23, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 20 to 23, 2004
Start: 2004-12-20T22:00
End: 2004-12-23T20:00
Location: Hawaii

December 20 to 23, 2004 · NWS HFO · 18 events in 18 counties and zones

A deep storm low northwest of the island chain generated surf of 30 to 40 feet along the north-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 10 to 20 feet along the west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Lanai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. One individual drowned in high surf on the Kona coast of the Big Island in the afternoon of the 21st of December.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 18

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 Dec 20, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 20, 8:30 PM HST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
830 PM HST MON DEC 20 2004

SYNOPSIS...
THE SUBTROPICAL SURFACE RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE ISLANDS
TUESDAY...PROVIDING LIGHT WINDS WITH AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES AND
PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. EXPECT A CHANGE ON WEDNESDAY AS A FRONT NEARS
THE STATE FROM THE WEST BRINGING SHOWERS TO KAUAI...AND POSSIBLY
OAHU ON WEDNESDAY. ISLAND WEATHER WILL REMAIN A BIT UNSETTLED
GENERALLY THROUGH THE COMING WEEKEND. A LARGE NORTHWEST SWELL WILL
BRING BIG SURF TO NORTH AND WEST SHORES THROUGH THURSDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A STRONG STORM FAR NORTHWEST OF THE STATE IS KEEPING THE SUBTROPICAL
RIDGE DOWN OVER THE ISLANDS THROUGH TUESDAY. ON WEDNESDAY HOWEVER...
AS A COLD FRONT FROM THIS SAME STORM PRESSES CLOSER TO THE STATE TO
DISRUPT THE RIDGE...MOISTURE CONVERGENCE WILL BEGIN TO BRING SHOWERS
TO THE WESTERN END OF THE STATE. THIS MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO
AFFECT THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS A LOW PRESSURE CELL MOVES
EASTWARD TOWARD HAWAII DEPRESSED FAR SOUTH NEAR 25N LATITUDE. THIS
LOW...THE REMNANT OF TROPICAL STORM NORU WHICH DEVELOPED NEAR
GUAM...WILL APPARANTLY KEEP MOISTURE MOVING OVER THE ISLANDS FROM
THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY. THIS PAINTS A SHOWERY PICTURE
FOR THE ISLANDS BEGINNING WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE
CHRISTMAS WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...
SURF IS RISING ALL ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT...FROM A WEST NORTHWEST
SWELL THAT WILL AFFECT WEST FACING SHORES MORE THAN THE PAST TWO
SWELLS. THUS KAUAI AND NIIHAU WILL BLOCK MUCH OF THIS SWELL FROM THE
OTHER ISLANDS...BUT THE KONA SIDE OF THE BIG ISLAND WILL FEEL THE
EFFECTS STRAIGHT ON. HEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED TO EXCEED WARNING LEVELS
FOR MOST ISLANDS NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES...BUT PLEASE REFER TO
THE HIGH SURF MESSAGES AND OAHU SURF FORECASTS FOR MORE DETAILS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF WARNING NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES OF NIIHAU...
KAUAI...AND OAHU AND WEST FACING SHORES OF LANAI...MAUI AND THE BIG
ISLAND OF HAWAII.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR NORTH FACING SHORES OF MOLOKAI AND MAUI.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR LARGE OPEN OCEAN SWELL.

&&

FARRELL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kahoolawe forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kohala

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Kona

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Leeward West forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Windward West forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.027, -156.788 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Niihau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu North Shore

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu North Shore forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Big Island

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Waianae Coast forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: December 20, 10:00 PM HST to December 23, 8:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Surf, Kona	2004-12-21	37	Male	In Water	Direct

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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2004

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: 5431544, 5431545, 5431546, 5431547, 5431548, 5431549, 5431550, 5431551, 5431552, 5431553, 5431554, 5431555, 5431556, 5431557, 5431558, 5431559, 5431560, 5431561.