High Surf in Hawaii, September 14 to 15, 2004

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, September 14 to 15, 2004
Start: 2004-09-14T07:00
End: 2004-09-15T14:00
Location: Hawaii

September 14 to 15, 2004 · NWS HFO · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A storm low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. No serious injuries or property damage were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 16

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 storm low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 8 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Sep 14, 4:00 AM HST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 14, 4:00 AM HST, 3 hours before

HAWAIIAN ISLANDS FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST TUE SEP 14 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN NORTH OF THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE WEEK...
KEEPING A MODERATE TRADE WIND BLOWING ACROSS THE STATE. SHOWERS WILL
RIDE IN ON THE WIND FROM TIME TO TIME...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AND IN
THE MORNING. ALTHOUGH THESE SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA
AREAS...THE WIND WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PUSH SOME RAINFALL
LEEWARD. LOW PRESSURE IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE TO THE NORTH OF THE
ISLANDS WILL ENHANCE THE SHOWERS THROUGH TONIGHT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
WINDWARD PARTS OF THE BIG ISLAND HAVE RECEIVED THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
SO FAR OVERNIGHT...BUT RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA SHOWED AREAS OF
SHOWERS MOVING ASHORE FROM THE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.
SOME OF THE SHOWERS WERE LOCALLY HEAVY...THOUGH THESE MOSTLY HAVE
AVOIDED THE RAIN GAUGES. THE FIELD OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN SHOWERY
CUMULI EXTENDED UPWIND FROM THE ISLANDS FOR OVER 300 MILES...
ENSURING LINGERING ACTIVITY AT LEAST THROUGH TONIGHT. THE GFS AND
ETA BOTH CONTINUED TO SHOW ANOTHER PRECIPITATION MAXIMUM PROBABLY
ASSOCIATED WITH THE BAND OF ENHANCED STRATOCUMULI ON THE FAR SIDE
OF THE INDIVIDUAL CUMULI...WHICH WILL LIKELY ARRIVE LATE TONIGHT.
THUS...EXPECT FAIRLY WET TRADES AT LEAST INTO TOMORROW MORNING. THE
COMBINATION OF PERSISTENT TRADE WIND FLOW AND A DEEP MOIST LAYER
WILL ALLOW SOME SHOWERS TO SPREAD OVER LEEWARD PORTIONS OF THE
SMALLER ISLANDS.

THE 12Z BALLOON SOUNDINGS SHOWED A DEEP MOIST LAYER CAPPED BY AN
ELEVATED TEMPERATURE INVERSION NEAR 9500 FEET. AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW
CENTERED ABOUT 650 MILES NORTH OF HONOLULU WAS PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE
FOR LIFTING THE INVERSION ABOVE ITS TYPICAL HEIGHT. THE MOIST LAYER
IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN DEEPER THAN USUAL THROUGH TONIGHT...THEN
COMPRESS TO MORE TYPICAL THICKNESS ON WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LOW
DEPARTS THE REGION TO THE NORTHWEST.

THE TRADE WIND WILL REMAIN BETWEEN 10 AND 20 MPH OVER THE STATE
THROUGH MOST OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTS FAR TO
THE NORTH NORTHEAST. BY NEXT MONDAY...MODELS BEGIN TO SLIDE THE HIGH
FURTHER EASTWARD...POSSIBLY WEAKENING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WIND
OVER THE ISLANDS SLIGHTLY IN THE PROCESS.

MEASUREMENTS FROM BUOYS LOCATED SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS CONTINUE TO
SUGGEST THAT SURF ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES WILL REACH OR SLIGHTLY
EXCEED THE SOUTH SHORE ADVISORY LEVEL OF 8 FEET TODAY INTO EARLY
TONIGHT. SURF WILL SUBSIDE BELOW 8 FEET THIS EVENING...ONLY TO BE
REINFORCED BY A SLIGHTLY SMALLER PULSE FROM THE SOUTH ON WEDNESDAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY SOUTH SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS.

&&

RYSHKO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

16 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 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: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 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: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Kona

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kona forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Central Valley

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Maui Leeward West

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 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, Molokai Leeward

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Niihau

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 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 South Shore

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, South Big Island

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 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: September 14, 7:00 AM HST to September 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala 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, September 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: 5431610, 5431611, 5431707, 5431708, 5431709, 5431710, 5431711, 5431712, 5431713, 5431714, 5431715, 5431716, 5431717, 5431718, 5431719, 5431720.