Hawaii, 2011

High Surf in Hawaii, March 14 to 16, 2011

March 14 to 16, 2011 · NWS HFO · 13 events in 13 counties and zones

A swell from a strong low far north of the islands produced surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu; and the north-facing shores of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii; and 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Oahu. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
13

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 swell from a strong low far north of the islands produced surf of 15 to 30 feet along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau, Kauai, and Oahu; and the north-facing shores of Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island of Hawaii; and 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Oahu. 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 Mar 14, 3:53 AM HST, 2 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 14, 3:53 AM HST, 2 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
353 AM HST MON MAR 14 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH INCREASING
WIND SPEEDS BEGINNING TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TRADE WINDS WILL BECOME STRONG AND
GUSTY BY MIDWEEK...AND REMAIN BREEZY INTO THE WEEKEND. CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS...WITH MORE LEEWARD
SHOWERS EXPECTED DURING PERIODS OF STRONGER TRADES.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

DRY WEATHER WITH MODERATE TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY
WITH A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE REMAINING IN PLACE NORTH OF THE STATE.
CURRENT TRADE WINDS ARE CARRYING DRIER THAN NORMAL AIR ACROSS THE
ISLANDS ALLOWING FOR LESS THAN NORMAL RAINFALL FROM THE BIG ISLAND
TO NIIHAU.

THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE TODAY AS A LOW PRESSURE AND ITS
ASSOCIATED FRONT PASS BY FAR TO THE NORTH. ON TUESDAY...THE LOW
MOVES TOWARD THE US MAINLAND AND CANADA...AND HIGH PRESSURE FROM
THE WEST WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC AND STRENGTHEN AS
RIDGING ALOFT BUILDS. THE STRENGTHENING HIGH WILL INCREASE TRADE
WINDS OVER THE ALOHA STATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON...AND BRING STRONG
AND GUSTY WINDS BY WEDNESDAY. STRONG TRADE WINDS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS THE HIGH PRESSURE CENTER SLOWLY SLIDES FROM
A POSITION NORTH OF THE STATE TO A POSITION NORTHEAST OF THE STATE
ON SUNDAY. ANOTHER STRONG HIGH PRESSURE IS SLATED TO ENTER THE
CENTRAL PACIFIC ON SUNDAY...CONTINUING STRONG TRADE WINDS INTO
NEXT WEEK.

MODELS INDICATE FAIRLY DRY TRADE WINDS THROUGH THE WEEK BEFORE A
LINE OF ENHANCED MOISTURE INCREASES WINDWARD SHOWERS SATURDAY
AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY. SHOWERS THAT DO OCCUR HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF
BLOWING OVER TO LEEWARD LOCATIONS AS THE MOISTURE RIDES THE STRONG
TRADE WINDS.

&&

.MARINE...
A NORTHWEST SWELL WILL PEAK TODAY...THEN LOWER TONIGHT. THIS WILL
PRODUCE LOW-END ADVISORY SURF FOR NORTH SHORES OF KAUAI AND NIIHAU
AND NEAR ADVISORY SURF FOR THE NORTH FACING BEACHES OF
OAHU...MOLOKAI AND MAUI. A MUCH LARGER NORTHWEST SWELL IS EXPECTED
TO ENTER HAWAIIAN WATERS TONIGHT...PEAK ON TUESDAY...THEN SLOWLY
LOWER THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS SWELL WILL LIKELY PRODUCE WARNING
LEVEL SURF. STRENGTHENING TRADE WINDS WILL BRING ADVISORY LEVEL
SURF TO EAST FACING SHORES WEDNESDAY...AND CONTINUE INTO THE
WEEKEND.

WINDS AND SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA
THROUGH TODAY. FOR TUESDAY...AND THE REST OF THE WEEK...SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORIES ARE LIKELY WITH A COMBINATION OF NW SWELLS AND STRONG
TRADE WINDS IN THE FORECAST.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING FOR NIIHAU-KAUAI
WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD.

&&

MORRISON

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

13 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 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, Kauai Windward

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 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, Waianae Coast

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 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, Oahu North Shore

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu North Shore forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
21.455, -157.961 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Surf, Oahu Koolau

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 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
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Maui Windward West

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 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, Maui Central Valley

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 PM HST
Where
Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When
March 14, 6:00 AM HST to March 16, 2:00 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

More

Every storm in Hawaii in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, March 2011

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: 282801, 282804, 282805, 282806, 282808, 282809, 282810, 282811, 282812, 282813, 282815, 282816, 282817.