High Surf in Hawaii, July 25 to 28, 2015

Name: High Surf in Hawaii, July 25 to 28, 2015
Start: 2015-07-25T09:00
End: 2015-07-28T18:00
Location: Hawaii

July 25 to 28, 2015 · NWS HFO · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

A swell from the southern hemisphere generated surf of 8 to 15 feet along the south-facing shores of all the islands. With the unusually high surf, lifeguards made 3000 preventive actions and 39 rescues on south and west shores just on Oahu alone.

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: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

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.

One soldier from Schofield Barracks was swept out to sea and drowned when a wave crashed onshore near him, at Halona Beach Park in the southeast part of Oahu. Another soldier, who jumped into the water to help the first individual, also perished. No significant property damage was 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 Jul 25, 3:30 AM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 3:30 AM HST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HONOLULU HI
330 AM HST SAT JUL 25 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
THE TRADES WILL DECREASE TODAY AND THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE REMNANTS OF
FORMER TROPICAL CYCLONE ENRIQUE MOVE TO THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS.
THIS WILL RESULT IN GENERALLY WARM AND HUMID CONDITIONS...WITH SEA
BREEZES BRINGING SOME AFTERNOON SHOWERS OVER INTERIOR AND LEEWARD
AREAS. DURING THE NIGHTS...TRADES SHOULD REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO
KEEP A FEW SHOWERS ACROSS WINDWARD AREAS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE BIG
ISLAND. A MORE TYPICAL TRADE WIND WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO
RETURN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE LOCATED
ACROSS THE E HALF OF THE ISLAND CHAIN...AND AN UPPER LEVEL LOW
CENTERED FAR WNW OF THE ALOHA STATE. AT THE SFC...A SFC HIGH
REMAINS CENTERED FAR N OF THE ISLANDS. THE TRADE WIND PATTERN
GENERATED BY THIS HIGH WILL BE INTERRUPTED THROUGH THE REST OF THE
WEEKEND AS A WEAK SFC TROUGH AND AN AREA OF ENHANCED MOISTURE....
BOTH ASSOCIATED WITH THE REMNANTS OF FORMER TROPICAL CYCLONE
ENRIQUE...MOVE TO THE N OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS.

A BAND OF MOISTURE HAS BEEN PRODUCING PASSING SHOWERS ACROSS THE SE
SLOPES OF THE BIG ISLAND DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...WHICH WILL
LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF THE MORNING HOURS. MEANWHILE...
THE WEAKENING TRADES SHOULD ALLOW FOR SEA BREEZES TO DEVELOP THIS
AFTERNOON AND POSSIBLY AGAIN ON SUN. HOWEVER...THE TRADES SHOULD NOT
DROP COMPLETELY...ESPECIALLY OVER WINDWARD AREAS. THUS...THE
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING PATTERN THIS WEEKEND MAY BECOME A HYBRID
WITH WEAK TRADES KEEPING CLOUDS AND SHOWERS OVER WINDWARD AND
MOUNTAIN AREAS...WHILE SOME LEEWARD/INTERIOR AREAS OF THE SMALLER
ISLANDS COULD EXPERIENCE CLOUD BUILDUPS AND LOCALIZED SHOWERS AS SEA
BREEZES PUSH INLAND.

MODELS SHOW THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE ISLANDS WEAKENING AND
MIGRATING W DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS...WHILE THE LOW WNW OF
THE ISLANDS GRADUALLY DISSIPATES. THE REMNANTS OF ENRIQUE WILL
BRING DEEPER MOISTURE JUST N OF THE STATE FOR THE SUN-MON TIME
FRAME...WITH MODEL SOLUTIONS SUGGESTING POTENTIAL FOR SOME LOCALIZED
HEAVY SHOWERS EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON
HOURS.

TUE SHOULD BE A TRANSITION DAY AS THE REMNANTS OF ENRIQUE MIGRATE TO
THE NW OF THE MAIN HAWAIIAN ISLANDS WITH SEA BREEZES STILL POSSIBLE
IN THE AFTERNOON. BY WED...THE TROUGH FINALLY MOVES AWAY FROM THE
AREA AND ALLOWS FOR A MORE TYPICAL TRADE WIND WEATHER PATTERN TO
RETURN.

&&

.AVIATION...
HIGH PRESSURE WELL N OF THE STATE WILL KEEP A LIGHT TO MODERATE NE
TRADE WIND FLOW IN PLACE THROUGH TONIGHT...WITH CLOUDS AND SHOWERS
FOCUSED PRIMARILY ACROSS MTN AND N THRU E SECTIONS OF THE ISLANDS.
CAN/T RULE OUT SOME BRIEF MVFR CIGS AT PHTO AND PHLI...BUT OVERALL
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PREVAIL AT THE TAF SITES.

AIRMET TANGO IS IN EFFECT FOR MODERATE LOW LEVEL TURB OVR AND S THRU
W OF MTNS. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE LATER THIS MORNING.

AIRMET SIERRA IS IN EFFECT FOR MTN OBSC ACROSS PORTIONS OF MAUI
MOLOKAI AND OAHU. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE LATER THIS
MORNING.

&&

.MARINE...
WINDS ACROSS THE AREA ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA
THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.

A LARGE INCREASING SOUTHERLY SWELL WILL PRODUCE SURF HEIGHTS ABOVE
ADVISORY LEVELS ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES THROUGH 6 AM HST MONDAY.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO PULSES OF ENERGY...ONE OF WHICH ARRIVES ON
MONDAY...THAT TENDS TO BLEND IN WITH THE EARLIER SWELL. SURF HEIGHTS
ALONG SOUTH FACING SHORES SHOULD REMAIN ELEVATED EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.HFO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM HST MONDAY FOR SOUTH
FACING SHORES OF ALL ISLANDS.

&&

DISCUSSION/MARINE...REYNES
AVIATION...JELSEMA

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Niihau

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kauai Windward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kauai Leeward

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Oahu South Shore forecast zone
Deaths: 1 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Waianae Coast

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Molokai Leeward forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Lanai Makai

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Lanai Makai forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kahoolawe

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Maui Central Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Leeward Haleakala

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Leeward Haleakala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kona

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 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: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: South Big Island forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Big Island North and East

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Big Island North and East forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

High Surf, Kohala

When: July 25, 9:00 AM HST to July 28, 6:00 PM HST
Where: Kohala forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 19.602, -155.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Surf, Oahu South Shore	2015-07-25	22	Male	In Water	Direct
High Surf, Oahu South Shore	2015-07-25	21	Male	In Water	Indirect

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 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Hawaii, July 2015

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: 585940, 586741, 586742, 586743, 586744, 586745, 586746, 586747, 586748, 586749, 586750, 586751, 586752, 586753, 586754.