High Surf in Hawaii, August 28 to 30, 2014

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, August 28 to 30, 2014
Start: 2014-08-28T06:00
End: 2014-08-30T15:00
Location: Hawaii

August 28 to 30, 2014 · NWS HFO · 17 events in 17 counties and zones

A swell from distant Hurricane Marie and a swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 6 to 9 feet along the east- and south-facing shores of the islands. No serious property damage or injuries were reported.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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: 17

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.

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 Aug 28, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 28, 4:00 AM HST, 2 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
400 AM HST THU AUG 28 2014

.SYNOPSIS...
TRADE WINDS WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN TODAY AND REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...ALLOWING AFTERNOON SEA BREEZES AND NIGHTTIME LAND BREEZES
TO DEVELOP OVER LEEWARD AREAS. AFTERNOON AND EVENING CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER LEEWARD AND INTERIOR AREAS...FOLLOWED BY
NIGHTTIME CLEARING...WHILE PASSING LOW CLOUDS MAY AFFECT THE
WINDWARD AREAS AT TIMES. STRONGER TRADE WINDS MAY RETURN NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
TRADE WINDS CONTINUE OVER THE ISLANDS EARLY THIS MORNING AS
INDICATED BY SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AROUND THE STATE AS WELL AS WIND
PROFILES FROM RADAR DATA. RADAR AND SATELLITE DATA INDICATE THERE
ARE SOME LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS IN THE ISLAND VICINITY THIS
MORNING...AND SOME OF THESE CLOUDS ARE REACHING THE
ISLANDS...BRINGING SOME SHOWERS TO MAINLY WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN
AREAS. EARLY MORNING SOUNDINGS FROM LIHUE AND HILO CONTINUE TO SHOW
A MARGINALLY STABLE AIR MASS IN THE AREA. TRADE WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO HOLD OVER THE ISLAND TODAY...AS A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS
FAR NORTH OF THE STATE. PASSING LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL AFFECT
MAINLY WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS.

WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY EASE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS A LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM FROM THE EAST PACIFIC PASSES NORTH OF THE STATE.
WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT ENOUGH OVER THE ISLANDS TONIGHT TO ALLOW
LAND BREEZES TO DEVELOP. AS SUCH...THE DIVERGING LAND BREEZES WILL
BRING SOME CLEARING SKIES TO THE STATE OVERNIGHT...THOUGH LOW CLOUDS
EMBEDDED IN THE LIGHT TRADE WIND FLOW MAY STILL AFFECT THE WINDWARD
AREAS AT TIMES. A MORE CONVECTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED OVER
THE ISLANDS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH CLOUDS AND SHOWERS DEVELOPING
OVER THE ISLANDS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS UNDER THE
CONVERGING SEA BREEZES...WHILE SOME CLEARING MAY OCCUR AT NIGHT
UNDER THE LAND BREEZES. AIR MASS IS FORECAST TO REMAIN SOMEWHAT
STABLE IN THE ISLAND VICINITY AS THERE WILL BE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING.
ON THE OTHER HAND...MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PASSING LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM NORTH OF THE STATE MAY BRING MORE CLOUDS AND EVEN
SHOWERS TO MAUI COUNTY FRIDAY NIGHT...REACHING OAHU ON
SATURDAY...AND SPREADING TO KAUAI LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY.

THE LIGHT TRADE WIND SCENARIO WILL LAST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.AS
SUCH...THE ISLANDS MAY EXPERIENCE HYBRID CONVECTIVE AND TRADE WIND
WEATHER FOR THE REST OF THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...WITH LOW CLOUDS AND
SHOWERS AFFECTING WINDWARD AREAS AT TIMES...WHILE THE LEE AREAS MAY
SEE AFTERNOON AND EVENING CLOUDS AND SOME SHOWERS. STRONGER TRADE
WINDS MAY STILL RETURN TO THE ISLANDS BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK...THOUGH THE WIND SPEEDS WILL STAY MODEST AT BEST. IF SO...MORE
TYPICAL TRADE WIND WEATHER WILL RETURN TO THE ISLANDS AS WELL.

&&

.AVIATION...
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL AT ALL TAF SITES THIS MORNING AND ARE
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY. WINDWARD AND MOUNTAIN AREAS MAY
EXPERIENCE BRIEF MVFR CEILING CONDITIONS DUE TO PASSING LOW CLOUDS.

NO AIRMET IS ANTICIPATED.

&&

.MARINE...
LATEST DATA FROM THE NEAR SHORE BUOYS JUST EAST OF OAHU AND NORTH OF
MAUI STILL SHOWED NO SIGN OF THE ANTICIPATED ABNORMALLY LONG-PERIOD
SWELL FROM HURRICANE MARIE EARLY THIS MORNING. STILL EXPECT THIS
SWELL TO SLOWLY REACH THE ISLAND WATERS LATER TODAY...AND WILL BRING
ADVISORY LEVEL SURF TO EAST FACING SHORES TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
WHILE SURF HEIGHTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH...LONG
PERIOD SWELL ENERGY FROM THE EAST IS SOMEWHAT UNUSUAL...RESULTING IN
NORMALLY SHELTERED WINDWARD LOCALES SEEING LARGER LONG PERIOD WAVES
AND STRONG CURRENTS.

LATEST READINGS FROM THE NEAR SHORE BUOY JUST SOUTHWEST OAHU
INDICATED THE SOUTH SWELL HAS ARRIVED...THOUGH SWELL HEIGHTS ARE A
TAD LOWER THAN EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. STILL BELIEVE THIS SOUTH SWELL
WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD TODAY...BRINGING ADVISORY LEVEL SURF ALONG
SOUTH FACING SHORES THROUGH FRIDAY. STRONG CURRENTS WILL DEVELOP IN
SOME AREAS DUE THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THESE TWO SWELLS. THE SURF
FROM BOTH SWELLS WILL SLOWLY DECLINE OVER THE WEEKEND.

AS WINDS SLOWLY DIMINISH...NO SMALL CRAFT WIND CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED THROUGH THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. HOWEVER...THE LONG PERIOD
EASTERLY AND SOUTHERLY SWELL MENTIONED ABOVE COULD BRING CONFUSED
SEAS TO AREAS EXPOSED TO BOTH SWELLS.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 6 AM TODAY TO 6 AM HST SATURDAY FOR
NIIHAU-KAUAI WINDWARD-KAUAI LEEWARD-OAHU SOUTH SHORE-WAIANAE
COAST-OAHU KOOLAU-OLOMANA-MOLOKAI-LANAI MAKAI-KAHOOLAWE-MAUI
WINDWARD WEST-MAUI LEEWARD WEST-MAUI CENTRAL VALLEY-WINDWARD
HALEAKALA-LEEWARD HALEAKALA-KONA-SOUTH BIG ISLAND-BIG ISLAND
NORTH AND EAST.

&&

HUI

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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 Koolau

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 29, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu Koolau forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Olomana

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 29, 3:00 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: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 29, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Molokai Leeward

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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 Windward West

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 29, 3:00 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: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 29, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Windward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: August 28, 6:00 AM HST to August 30, 3:00 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 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, August 2014

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: 533944, 533945, 533946, 533947, 533948, 533949, 533950, 533951, 533953, 533954, 533955, 533956, 533957, 533958, 533959, 533960, 533961.