Hawaii, 2004

High Surf in Hawaii, January 30 to 31, 2004

January 30 to 31, 2004 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

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
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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
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  • Marine and coastal
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Open the live radar over this ground

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 generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big Island of Hawaii. No serious injuries or property damage 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 Jan 30, 1:30 PM HST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 30, 1:30 PM HST, 30 minutes before
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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 30, 2:00 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 Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna

When
January 30, 2:00 PM HST to January 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where
North and East Hawaii Including Windward Kohala / Hamakua / Hilo / Puna forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
22.011, -159.705 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, South Hawaii Including Kau

When
January 30, 2:00 PM HST to January 31, 11:59 PM HST
Where
South Hawaii Including Kau 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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, January 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: 5432475, 5432476, 5432477.