High Surf, Niihau
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 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 in Hawaii, November 20 to 25, 2019
A swell from a powerful low far northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 25 feet, with occasional higher sets, along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. Strengthening trade winds caused a short-period swell that produced surf of 6 to 10 feet…
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 14
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 powerful low far northwest of the Aloha State generated surf of 15 to 25 feet, with occasional higher sets, along the north- and west-facing shores of Niihau and Kauai, and the north-facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui; and 8 to 14 feet along the west-facing shores of Oahu and Molokai. Strengthening trade winds caused a short-period swell that produced surf of 6 to 10 feet along the east-facing shores of Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and the Big Island. 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 Nov 20, 3:34 PM HST, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 3:34 PM HST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
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</html>The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
14 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Kauai Windward
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Kauai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Kauai Leeward
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 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
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 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
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 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
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Oahu Koolau forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Olomana
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 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
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Windward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Molokai Leeward
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Molokai Leeward forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Maui Windward West
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 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
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 22, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Maui Central Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Windward Haleakala
- When
- November 20, 8:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- Windward Haleakala forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, South Big Island
- When
- November 21, 3:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 PM HST
- Where
- South Big Island forecast zone
- Reported by
- Trained Spotter
High Surf, Big Island North and East
- When
- November 21, 3:00 PM HST to November 25, 12:00 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
- Heavy Snow in Wyoming, November 20 to 21, 2019
- Strong Wind in California, November 20, 2019
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, November 20, 2019
- Flash Flooding in Arizona, November 20 to 21, 2019
- Flash Flood in Nevada, November 20, 2019
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Arizona, November 20, 2019
- Heavy Snow in Minnesota, November 20 to 21, 2019
- Flash Flood and Heavy Snow in Arizona, November 20 to 21, 2019
- Flash Flood and Heavy Snow in California, November 20, 2019
- Winter Storm in North Dakota, November 20, 2019
- Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Utah, November 20 to 21, 2019
- Strong Wind in Texas, November 20, 2019
More
Every storm in Hawaii in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Hawaii, November 2019
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 858910, 858911, 858912, 858913, 858914, 858915, 858916, 858917, 858918, 858919, 858920, 858921, 858922, 858923.