PlainHazard

High Surf

NOAA Storm Events type · 10,650 records since 1996 · 31 states and territories

The National Weather Service defines high surf as: "Large waves breaking on or near shore, resulting from swell spawned by a distant storm or from strong onshore winds, causing a fatality, injury or damage." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 10,650 high surf records from 1996 through June 30, 2026, the most in Hawaii (9,299), with 326 deaths recorded.

How the National Weather Service files high surf

Large waves breaking on or near shore, resulting from swell spawned by a distant storm or from strong onshore winds, causing a fatality, injury or damage. In addition, if accompanied by anomalous astronomical high tides, high surf may produce beach erosion and possible damage to beachfront structures.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 23

Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).

High Surf, 1996 to 2026

Records per year (2026 to June 30, 2026).

  • recorded, no damage figure
  • under $10 million
  • $10 million or more
  • $100 million or more
  • $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
  • $10 billion or more, or 1,000 deaths
  • a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
  • a year with a death
Records
10,6501996 to June 30, 2026
Deaths
326406 injuries
Damage, 2025 dollars
$320Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
Counties with a record
208of 3,266

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.

Where do high surf records happen?

States

  1. Hawaii 9,299
  2. California 505
  3. Florida 157
  4. Oregon 132
  5. New Jersey 115
  6. American Samoa 113
  7. Puerto Rico 67
  8. South Carolina 38
  9. New York 35
  10. Alaska 28
  11. Delaware 24
  12. Guam 18
  13. North Carolina 17
  14. Georgia 15
  15. Texas 13

Counties

  1. Maui County, HI 2,891
  2. Kauai County, HI 2,719
  3. Honolulu County, HI 2,398
  4. Hawaii County, HI 999
  5. San Diego County, CA 117
  6. Curry County, OR 96
  7. Orange County, CA 88
  8. Manu'a District, AS 69
  9. Santa Cruz County, CA 60
  10. Santa Barbara County, CA 60

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).

When do high surf records happen?

The busiest month is January.

The values, month by month

Jan 1,574 · Feb 1,325 · Mar 1,119 · Apr 711 · May 422 · Jun 592 · Jul 475 · Aug 469 · Sep 664 · Oct 869 · Nov 1,002 · Dec 1,428 (records).

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.

The deadliest high surf records

The high surf records with the most deaths
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2004-06-29 High SurfGuam, GU · forecast zone Guam After five men went out into the waters off Piti in three kayaks, heavy surf overturned the kayaks. Two bodies were later recovered, and the other three are presumed drowned. The surf was related to Typhoon Ting-Ting, which had passed through the northern Mariana Islands the previous day, and was at that time about ... 5 0 –
1997-01-30 High SurfKauai County, HI · forecast zone Maui Several low pressure centers moving across the north central Pacific generated swell that produced surf of 8 to 12 feet with occasional sets to 15 feet along the north and west facing shores of the islands. Four tourists, 3 from Georgia and 1 from Utah, drowned in the high surf at Keanae Point, Maui at approximately 2 ... 4 0 –
2002-06-15 High SurfNassau County, NY · forecast zone Nassau As a low pressure system developed southeast of Long Island, northeast winds increased to 20 to 25 knots and seas built to around 8 feet, which was measured by Buoy 44025 (about 20 miles south of Fire Island Inlet).A 25 foot pleasure boat named "Eleni II" left Jones Inlet at 6:00 am for the Freeport Hudson Anglers ... 4 0 –
2010-07-14 High SurfMarin County and Sonoma County, CA · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A 24-foot motorized fishing boat capsized in the six to eight foot surf about one mile offshore of Ten Mile Beach, also known as The Great Beach, north of Point Reyes. The four fishermen aboard lost their lives as they were thrown into the frigid water. None of them were wearing life vests. Also, the boat was totally ... 4 0 $27K
2006-12-13 High SurfCurry County, OR · forecast zone Curry County Coast Three crabbers died when their boat overturned in heavy surf on the Rogue River bar. Conditions were described as rough, but not terribly rough, and the crew voted to go through the bar. No high surf advisories or warnings were in effect when the incident occurred at 16/1540 PST. 4 0 –
2016-01-19 High SurfCoos County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast The 40.1 feet Eagle III commercial crab fishing vessel collided with the Coos Bay north jetty and capsized around 830 pm on 1/19/2016. The vessel had left Charleston, OR but was registered in Port Orford, OR. There were 4 people on board. The captain survived by making it to shore. One male body was found on the Coos ... 3 1 –
2014-01-06 High SurfGuam, GU · forecast zone Guam On January 6th 2014 The body of 19 year old Petty Officer 3rd Class Rjay Domondon was recovered around 7 am on the 6th. The victim reportedly went spearfishing alone in waters behind the Agat Cemetery. A 911 call was placed at 7:23 pm on Sunday the 5th of January. A search was conducted by Guam Fire Department, U.S. ... 3 1 –
1997-02-12 High SurfClallam County and Jefferson County, WA · forecast zone North Coast Three Coast Guard crew men were killed when their boat overturned in rough seas. They were on a search and rescue mission off the Quillayute River Bar when their boat capsized throwing all four of the crew overboard. One survived. It was the first fatal capsizing for that type of rescue boat in its 35 year history. 3 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, deaths direct and indirect as filed.

The most recent high surf records

To June 30, 2026
DateRecordCharacterKilledInjuredDamage
2026-06-18 High SurfSan Francisco County, CA · forecast zone San Francisco 0 2 –
2026-06-16 High SurfSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County, CA · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast 0 1 –
2026-06-14 High SurfHonolulu County, HI · forecast zone East Honolulu 0 1 $100K
2026-06-14 High SurfHawaii County, HI · forecast zone Kona 0 0 $50K
2026-06-10 High SurfSanta Cruz County, CA · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay 2 0 –
2026-05-28 High SurfCook County, IL · forecast zone Cook 1 0 –
2026-05-16 High SurfMonterey County, CA · forecast zone Southern Monterey Bay And Big Sur Coast 1 0 –
2026-04-16 High SurfCook County, IL · forecast zone Northern Cook County 1 0 –

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Next