High Surf in Hawaii, October 4 to 7, 2011

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, October 4 to 7, 2011
Start: 2011-10-04T09:00
End: 2011-10-07T14:00
Location: Hawaii

October 4 to 7, 2011 · NWS HFO · 16 events in 16 counties and zones

A swell from the southern hemisphere produced surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

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 swell from the southern hemisphere produced surf of 6 to 12 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries.

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 Oct 4, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 4, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST TUE OCT 4 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL GENERATE MODERATE LOCALLY BRISK
TRADE WINDS ACROSS THE ISLANDS. HIGH CLOUDS ADDED TO THE LOW CLOUDS
RIDING IN ON THE TRADES WILL MAKE FOR CLOUDIER THAN NORMAL SKIES THE
NEXT FEW DAYS. PASSING SHOWERS WILL FAVOR WINDWARD AND MAUKA AREAS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
WINDS ALOFT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF AN UPPER LEVEL LOW AND TROUGH ARE
CARRYING HIGH CLOUDS UP OVER THE STATE FROM THE SOUTHWEST. THE LOW
AND TROUGH ALOFT WILL LINGER NORTHWEST OF HERE FOR THE NEXT FEW
DAYS...SO THE PATCHY HIGH CLOUDS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO PASS
OVERHEAD. THE HIGH CLOUDS COMBINED WITH THE LOW CLOUDS RIDING IN ON
THE TRADE WINDS WILL MAKE FOR CLOUDIER SKIES. THE FORECAST HAS BEEN
ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY.

A SURFACE HIGH TO THE NORTH PUTS THE STATE IN THE MIDDLE OF MODERATE
LOCALLY FRESH TRADE WINDS INTO THURSDAY. THE HIGH WILL MOVE TO THE
EAST DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK...ENDING UP MIDWAY BETWEEN
HAWAII AND CALIFORNIA. THE TRADES WILL SLACKEN A BIT AS THE HIGH
MOVES AWAY.

&&

.MARINE...
HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL PUT MODERATE LOCALLY STRONG TRADE
WINDS ACROSS THE STATE INTO THURSDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ARE IN
EFFECT FOR THE USUAL WINDY WATERS AROUND MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG
ISLAND.

A LARGE SOUTH SWELL WILL PUT ADVISORY LEVEL SURF ONTO ALL SOUTH
FACING SHORES TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE SWELL AND SURF WILL
SLOWLY LOWER DURING THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. A SERIES OF SMALL
NORTH AND NORTHWEST SWELLS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEK.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FOR MAINLY
LEEWARD ZONES. THE KEETCH BYRAM DROUGHT INDEX /KBDI/ USED TO
EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS
THE STATE IS AT 606 AT THE HONOLULU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS
WILL BE CLOSE TO 20 MPH AND THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO BE
AT OR BELOW 45% FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON. BOTH PARAMETERS
ALONG WITH THE KBDI OVER 600 JUSTIFY THE ISSUANCE OF THE RED FLAG
WARNING.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL ACROSS THE FA. CLD/SHRA WILL FOCUS ON
WINDWARD TERRAIN. MVFR CIGS AT 025-030 WILL BE SHORT LIVED. SCT-BKN
CI AOA FL300 WILL PASS NORTHEASTWARD OVER THE AREA.

AIRMET TANGO REMAINS IN EFFECT. TRADES WILL STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY
TUESDAY...SO LOW LEVEL TURB DOWNWIND OF HIGH TERRAIN WILL CONTINUE.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 6 PM HST TUESDAY FOR KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU
SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE COAST-OLOMANA-WAIANAE MOUNTAINS-MOLOKAI
LEEWARD-MAUI LEEWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-
KONA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-KOHALA.

HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 AM HST TUESDAY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY
FOR SOUTH FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM HST THURSDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-
PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG
ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

&&

CRAIG

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, Niihau

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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, Oahu South Shore

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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, Molokai Windward

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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, Maui Leeward West

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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, Maui Central Valley

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Windward Haleakala

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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, South Big Island

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 2:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: October 4, 9:00 AM HST to October 7, 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

Every storm in Hawaii in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, October 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: 346680, 346681, 346682, 346683, 346684, 346685, 346686, 346687, 346688, 346689, 346690, 346691, 346692, 346693, 346694, 346695.