High Surf in Hawaii, June 7 to 11, 2009

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, June 7 to 11, 2009
Start: 2009-06-07T12:00
End: 2009-06-11T22:00
Location: Hawaii

June 7 to 11, 2009 · NWS HFO · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A deep low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. There were no reports of serious injuries or property damage.

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: 14

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 low in the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 10 feet along the south shores of all the Hawaiian Islands. 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 Jun 7, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 7, 10:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
1000 AM HST SUN JUN 7 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
AFTER DECREASING MONDAY...TRADE WINDS WILL INCREASE AGAIN AFTER
MIDWEEK AS GOVERNING HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTHEAST MEANDERS FIRST
AWAY...THEN BACK TOWARD THE ISLANDS. RAINFALL WILL BE
LIGHT...FAVORING WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS. LOCAL SEA BREEZES MAY
FORM ACROSS LEEWARD AREAS MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
WE ARE IN A PROLONGED TRADE WIND PATTERN...THANKS TO PERSISTENT HIGH
PRESSURE TO OUR NORTHEAST. HOWEVER...TRADE WIND STRENGTH WILL VARY
THROUGH THE WEEK. THE 1025 MB HIGH 700 MILES OR SO NORTHEAST OF THE
ISLANDS WILL DRIFT FARTHER TO THE NORTHEAST OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 48
HOURS...CAUSING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE ISLANDS TO RELAX
AND BRINGING TRADE WIND STRENGTH DOWN A NOTCH. WE EXPECT THE ONSET
OF AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES ACROSS LEEWARD AREAS MONDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY...WHILE LIGHT TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS
WINDWARD AREAS. RIDGING ALOFT WILL KEEP OUR AIRMASS RELATIVELY DRY
AND STABLE...SO WHILE CLOUD COVER WILL LIKELY INCREASE ACROSS MAUKA
AREAS EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING...TOTAL RAINFALL WILL REMAIN LIGHT.

GFS SHOWS AN AREA OF INCREASED MOISTURE EMBEDDED IN THE TRADES WILL
PASS OVER THE ISLANDS THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. WE EXPECT AN
INCREASE IN TRADE SHOWER COVERAGE DURING THIS TIME BUT LITTLE ELSE.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE BACK CLOSER TO THE ISLANDS THURSDAY AND
THEREAFTER...CAUSING TRADE WIND STRENGTH TO INCREASE BACK TO
MODERATE LEVELS THURSDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. DRIER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED AFTER THURSDAY NIGHT AS WELL.

&&

.MARINE...
THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF SOUTH SWELLS WILL INCREASE SURF HEIGHTS TO
7 FEET WITH OCCASIONAL HIGHER SETS TODAY. A LARGER REINFORCING SOUTH
SWELL MAY CREATE SURF IN EXCESS OF 8 FEET WEDNESDAY...INCREASING THE
LIKELIHOOD FOR A HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES BY
MIDWEEK.

THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WATERS AROUND THE BIG ISLAND...THE
PAILOLO CHANNEL AND MAALAEA BAY WILL CONTINUE TO 6 PM HST TODAY.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST TODAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-PAILOLO
CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG ISLAND
SOUTHEAST WATERS.

&&

POWELL

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, Kauai Windward

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, Oahu South Shore

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, Molokai Leeward

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, Maui Leeward West

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, Windward Haleakala

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 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, South Big Island

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: June 7, 12:00 PM HST to June 11, 10:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East 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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, June 2009

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: 169114, 169115, 169116, 169117, 169118, 169119, 169120, 169121, 169122, 169123, 169124, 169125, 169126, 169127.