Hawaii, 2004

High Surf in Hawaii, February 27 to 29, 2004

February 27 to 29, 2004 · NWS HFO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A deep storm low far northwest of the state generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai, and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of those isles and the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. A large wave at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore swept a 20-year old female soldier, from Schofield Barracks, out to sea late in the evening…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 deep storm low far northwest of the state generated surf of 15 to 25 feet along the north-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Molokai, and 6 to 12 feet along the west-facing shores of those isles and the west-facing shores of the Big Island of Hawaii. A large wave at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore swept a 20-year old female soldier, from Schofield Barracks, out to sea late in the evening on the 27th. She presumably drowned. 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 27, 5:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 5:30 AM HST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
530 AM HST FRI FEB 27 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG WINDS...HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ALONG
AND AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THROUGH TODAY. THE FRONT WILL REACH OAHU
THIS MORNING...AND MAUI COUNTY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. FRESH AND
COOLER NORTH WINDS ARE FORECAST BEHIND THE FRONT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE FRONT IS ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHWEST OF KAUAI AND MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 25 MPH. IT WILL LIKELY MAINTAIN THIS
SPEED...ENDING UP ON KAUAI FRIDAY MORNING...OAHU AROUND MIDDAY...
THEN INTO MAUI COUNTY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE FRONT IS
ATTACHED TO A DEVELOPING LOW LOCATED ABOUT 650 MILES NORTHWEST OF
KAUAI. THE LOW WILL MOVE OFF TO THE NORTHEAST...BUT WILL STILL BE
CLOSE ENOUGH TO GENERATE LOTS OF HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDER ESPECIALLY
AHEAD OF THE FRONT.

THE SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL PICK UP AS THE FRONT NEARS. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL OCCUR WITHIN ABOUT 150 MILES EAST OF THE FRONT...
STARTING SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE FRONTAL PASSAGE.

THE MODELS ARE NOW MOVING AN UPPER LOW NORTH OF THE STATE RATHER
THAN DIRECTLY OVERHEAD AS WAS THE CASE YESTERDAY. THIS MEANS THAT
MID-LEVEL TEMPERATURES MAY NOT BE AS COLD AS EARLIER THOUGHT. WILL
STICK WITH A CHANCE OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT...BUT
THAT IS LOOKING MORE AND MORE QUESTIONABLE.

&&

.MARINE...
A NORTHWEST SWELL GENERATED BY A LARGE LOW NEAR THE KAMCHATKA
PENINSULA WILL RESULT IN RISING SURF TO WARNING LEVELS TODAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY FOR ALL ISLANDS
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH FRIDAY FOR ALL BUT THE BIG ISLAND
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR ALL NORTH AND WEST FACING SHORES

CRAIG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When
February 27, 8:00 AM HST to February 29, 6:00 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, Maui

When
February 27, 8:00 AM HST to February 29, 6:00 PM HST
Where
Maui forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai

When
February 27, 8:00 AM HST to February 29, 6:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Oahu

When
February 27, 8:00 AM HST to February 29, 6:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, West Hawaii

When
February 27, 8:00 AM HST to February 29, 6:00 PM HST
Where
West Hawaii forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
High Surf, Oahu2004-02-2720FemaleIn WaterDirect

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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, February 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: 5431075, 5431076, 5431173, 5431174, 5431175.