High Surf in Hawaii, December 15 to 21, 2006

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, December 15 to 21, 2006
Start: 2006-12-15T12:00
End: 2006-12-21T17:00
Location: Hawaii

December 15 to 21, 2006 · NWS HFO · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 caused surf of 6 to 12 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii. A swimmer was injured in the rough surf around 1415 on the 17th of December at Kehena Beach in the Puna District on the Big Island. He was taken to the Hilo Medical Center for treatment. There were no other 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 Dec 15, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST FRI DEC 15 2006

.SYNOPSIS...
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE...THANKS TO A STRONG HIGH NORTH OF
THE ISLANDS. ALTHOUGH SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...
THE STRONG WINDS WILL BLOW SOME TO THE LEEWARD AREAS. THE WINDS WILL
EASE BY SUNDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN A LARGE 1040 MB HIGH PASSING BY TO
THE NORTH AND THE NEAR-EQUATORIAL TROUGH TO THE SOUTH IS RATHER
STEEP...THEREBY MAKING THE TRADES RATHER STRONG. THE WINDS WILL BE
STRONGEST IN THE USUAL PLACES...MOUNTAIN RIDGES...HEADLANDS SUCH AS
UPOLU AND SOUTH POINT...LEEWARD VALLEYS...AND FUNNELED AREAS SUCH AS
CENTRAL MAUI. THE GRADIENT AND WINDS WILL SLACKEN BY SUNDAY AS THE
HIGH SETTLES IN OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST. THE BRISK WINDS WILL BLOW
SOME SHOWERS TO LEEWARD SECTIONS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS...BUT THEY
WILL BE COMING AND GOING BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.

A SURFACE RIDGE EXTENDING WEST OF THE HIGH...ALONG WITH A SMALLER
HIGH MIGRATING EASTWARD ALONG THE RIDGE...WILL KEEP THE ISLANDS IN
MODERATE TRADE WINDS THROUGH NEXT WEEK. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY
IS EXPECTED RAIN-WISE.

&&

.MARINE...
THE TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LIKELY PUT GALE FORCE WINDS IN THE
ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL AND BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS THROUGH TONIGHT.
THE BRISK WINDS WILL GENERATE HIGH WAVES AND ROUGH SEAS...PROMPTING
THE ISSUANCE OF THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EAST FACING SHORES.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GALE WARNING FOR THE ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL AND BIG ISLAND SOUTHEAST
WATERS THROUGH TONIGHT.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ALL WATERS THROUGH SATURDAY.
WIND ADVISORY FOR BIG ISLAND SUMMITS AND HALEAKALA THROUGH SATURDAY.
WIND ADVISORY FOR ALL ZONES TODAY.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF KAUAI OAHU MOLOKAI MAUI
AND THE BIG ISLAND THROUGH SUNDAY.
&&

CRAIG

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Kauai Windward

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Olomana forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Molokai Windward

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 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, Windward Haleakala

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, South Big Island

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: December 15, 12:00 PM HST to December 21, 5:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, December 2006

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: 6770, 6771, 6772, 6773, 6774, 6775, 6776, 6777.