High Surf in Hawaii, July 11 to 15, 2012

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, July 11 to 15, 2012
Start: 2012-07-11T09:00
End: 2012-07-15T14:00
Location: Hawaii

July 11 to 15, 2012 · NWS HFO · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A swell from former East Pacific Hurricane Daniel produced surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island. There were no reports of significant property damage or injuries.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 former East Pacific Hurricane Daniel produced surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of the Big Island. There were no reports of significant 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 Jul 11, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 4:00 AM HST, 5 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST WED JUL 11 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WIND WEATHER WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND THURSDAY WITH PASSING
SHOWERS FAVORING WINDWARD AREAS. WINDS WILL INCREASE THURSDAY NIGHT
AND FRIDAY WITH MORE WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AS REMNANTS OF TROPICAL
STORM DANIEL PASS SOUTH OF THE ISLANDS. DRIER TRADE WINDS WEATHER IS
EXPECTED TO RETURN OVER THE WEEKEND.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
TRADE WINDS HAVE DECREASED A LITTLE OVERNIGHT...AS SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENT RELAXED SLIGHTLY OVER THE STATE. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE FAR
NORTH THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WINDS WILL PREVAIL...THOUGH IT
WILL BE WEAKER AS WELL. LOW CLOUDS DID NOT INCREASE MUCH OVERNIGHT
IN THE ISLAND VICINITY...ESPECIALLY NEAR KAUAI. THUS OTHER THAN A
FEW SHOWERS OUT THERE...MAINLY FAIR WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE
ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THERE IS
AN AREA OF LOW CLOUDS JUST EAST OF THE ISLANDS...AND THESE CLOUDS
WILL REACH THE STATE LATER THIS MORNING...BRINGING A LITTLE MORE
SHOWERS TO THE STATE. SIMILAR TRADE WIND WEATHER WILL PREVAIL
THROUGH THURSDAY...AS THE GENERAL SYNOPTIC WEATHER PATTERN STAYS THE
SAME.

CHANGES TO THE ISLAND WEATHER WILL BE FORTHCOMING...AS REMNANTS OF
TROPICAL STORM DANIEL PASS SOUTH OF THE STATE LATE THURSDAY THROUGH
FRIDAY. WINDS WILL FIRM UP SOME MORE AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE
GRADIENT TIGHTENS ACROSS THE STATE DUE TO THE PASSING OF THE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE SOUTH. MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SYSTEM
WILL ALSO REACH THE STATE BEGINNING LATE THURSDAY. THAT WILL LEAD TO
AN INCREASING RAINFALL FOR THE ISLANDS. SHOWERS WILL BE MORE
WIDESPREAD...THOUGH THE FOCUS WILL REMAIN OVER WINDWARD AREAS UNDER
THE STRONGER TRADE WINDS...ESPECIALLY FOR THE BIG ISLAND. SOME
SHOWERS MAY REACH THE LEE AREAS OF THE SMALLER ISLANDS UNDER THE
STRONGER WINDS. AS THE REMNANT MOISTURE EXITS THE STATE TO THE WEST
OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH A RELAXED SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER
THE ISLANDS...MORE TYPICAL TRADE WIND SHOWERS WILL RETURN TO THE
STATE.

TROPICAL STORM DANIEL HAS MOVED INTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE
CENTER AREA EARLIER THIS MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
ADVISORY ISSUED BY CENTRAL PACIFIC HURRICANE CENTER FOR INFORMATION
ON THIS SYSTEM.

&&

.AVIATION...
AIRMET TANGO FOR LOW LEVEL TURB WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT AT LEAST
THROUGH THIS MORNING DUE TO LOCALLY FRESH TRADE WIND FLOW.
TRADES MAY STILL BE ON A SLIGHT DECLINE LATER TODAY...AND MAY
BECOME WEAK ENOUGH FOR THE AIRMET TO BE CANCELED.

MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL FOR ALL TERMINALS THIS MORNING. AS THE
NEXT AREA OF LOW CLOUDS REACHES THE ISLANDS LATER THIS MORNING...IT
WILL BRING ISOL MVFR CEILING CONDITION TO THE WINDWARD LOCALES.

&&

.MARINE...
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONTINUES FOR THE TYPICALLY WINDIER AREAS
AROUND MAUI COUNTY AND THE BIG ISLAND TODAY. WIND SPEEDS ARE STILL
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVEL BRIEFLY
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...THEN INCREASE AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH
FRIDAY AS THE REMNANTS OF DANIEL PASS SOUTH OF THE STATE.

EASTERLY SWELL FROM TROPICAL CYCLONE DANIEL WILL BRING INCREASING
SURF ALONG EAST-FACING SHORES OF THE ISLANDS THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS POSTED FOR EAST FACING SHORES OF
THE BIG ISLAND TODAY...AND MAY NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER
ISLANDS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST FRIDAY FOR SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG
ISLAND NORTH AND EAST.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM HST WEDNESDAY FOR MAALAEA BAY-
PAILOLO CHANNEL-ALENUIHAHA CHANNEL-BIG ISLAND LEEWARD WATERS-BIG
ISLAND SOUTHEAST WATERS.

&&

HUI

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, South Big Island

When: July 11, 9:00 AM HST to July 15, 2:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: July 11, 9:00 AM HST to July 15, 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 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, July 2012

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: 388688, 388689.