High Surf in Hawaii, March 9 to 11, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, March 9 to 11, 2004
Start: 2004-03-09T08:00
End: 2004-03-11T16:00
Location: Hawaii

March 9 to 11, 2004 · NWS HFO · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A trade wind swell generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big 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.

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: 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 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai and the Big 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 Mar 9, 4:30 AM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 4:30 AM HST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
430 AM HST TUE MAR 9 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
THE NORTH WINDS SHOULD BE A LITTLE LIGHTER TODAY. TODAYS DRY WEATHER
WILL PROBABLY TURN WETTER WEDNESDAY...AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE
PASSES OVERHEAD.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE MAJOR PLAYER TO WATCH THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS IS A LOW ABOUT 600
MILES TO THE NORTHEAST NEAR 27N 150W. PROGS HAVE HAD A GOOD HANDLE
ON ITS FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT...AND ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT
AS TO WHERE IT WILL GO. THEY MOVE IT TO THE SOUTH SOUTHWEST ACROSS
THE ISLANDS AS AN OPEN TROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WILL BE WEAKENING AS IT PASSES OVERHEAD...WE ARE
NOT FORECASTING VERY WET WEATHER. IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT HOWEVER
THAT IF THE LOW ASSUMES A SLIGHTLY MORE WESTWARD TRACK OR IF IT DOES
NOT WEAKEN AS RAPIDLY AS EXPECTED...WE COULD EASILY SEE SEVERE
WEATHER. IF THAT IS THE CASE...THE BIG ISLAND WOULD BE THE MOST
LIKELY TARGET.

THE TROUGH IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE AS IT MOVES OFF TO THE WEST...
AND THE TRADES WILL RETURN AS A HIGH MOVES EAST ALONG 35N THURSDAY.
THE HIGH WILL PUSH A SHEARLINE AND SHOWERS ACROSS THE STATE THIS
WEEKEND.

&&

.MARINE...CORRECTION
NORTH WINDS WEST OF THE LOW HAS SENT A SWELL TO HAWAII. THE HIGH
SURF ADVISORY IS FOR THE EAST SHORES ONLY...AS HEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED
TO BE BELOW THE 15 FOOT ADVISORY THRESHOLD FOR NORTH FACING SHORES.

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY...EAST 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

3 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai

When: March 9, 8:00 AM HST to March 11, 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: March 9, 8:00 AM HST to March 11, 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: March 9, 8:00 AM HST to March 11, 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 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, March 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: 5431188, 5431189, 5431190.