Sneakerwave
NOAA Storm Events type · 73 records since 2012 · 3 states and territories
The National Weather Service defines sneakerwave as: "A sneaker wave is the first wave of a set of larger waves that follows a period of relatively calm ocean conditions, resulting in a fatality or damage." NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 73 sneakerwave records from 2012 through June 30, 2026, the most in Oregon (51), with 30 deaths recorded.
How the National Weather Service files sneakerwave
A sneaker wave is the first wave of a set of larger waves that follows a period of relatively calm ocean conditions, resulting in a fatality or damage. The period of calm preceding a sneaker wave can last up to thirty minutes.
National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605, Storm Data Preparation (July 26, 2021), Appendix A, entry 43
Source: National Weather Service Instruction 10-1605. Read the instruction (PDF).
Sneakerwave, 2012 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
- 732012 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths
- 3018 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $120Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- Counties with a record
- 16of 3,266
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026. Search the record at NCEI.
Where do sneakerwave records happen?
States
Counties
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (forecast-zone records count on every county the zone covers).
When do sneakerwave records happen?
The busiest month is January.
The values, month by month
Jan 16 · Feb 11 · Mar 8 · Apr 2 · May 7 · Jun 1 · Jul 1 · Aug 0 · Sep 1 · Oct 7 · Nov 10 · Dec 9 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
The deadliest sneakerwave records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-06-30 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County, CA · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay Four people were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave at Bonny Doon Beach in Santa Cruz County. Two of the men reached nearby rocks and were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The two women died as a result of drowning. | 2 | 2 | – | |
| 2025-01-19 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County, CA · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay A father and son from San Jose perished at Cowell Ranch State Beach after the son was swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave. State park lifeguards and rangers responded to the water rescue and pulled the two into a Harbor Patrol vessel. The two were taken to Stanford Medical Center, where they died. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2024-07-16 | SneakerwaveSanta Cruz County, CA · forecast zone Northern Monterey Bay A sneaker wave killed a couple from San Jose who were standing along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz. The couple stood on a rock to take pictures when the wave hit the rock. A rescue swimmer pulled the victims onto a boat, but was unable to revive the couple. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-09-09 | SneakerwaveLane County and Lincoln County, OR · forecast zone Central Oregon Coast A couple and their young daughter took a trail down to rocks which overlook the ocean. A large wave washed over the rocks and swept the couple off the rocks and into the ocean. Both were taken to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2017-01-15 | SneakerwaveCoos County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast Two people were swept into the ocean by a sneaker wave at 15/1300 PST. The 31 year old male and his 3 year old son have not been found as of 31/0800 PST. The beach on which they were walking had a steep angle to the water and the seas were reported to be rough. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2012-12-28 | SneakerwaveMarin County and Sonoma County, CA · forecast zone Coastal North Bay Including Point Reyes National Seashore A pair of fishermen, father and son, and a friend were fishing on rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge. A large sneaker wave swept them off the rocks and into the ocean. The friend was able to swim back to shore and contacted authorities. A Tiburon Fire Department boat found the bodies of the father and son about 100 ... | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2016-02-24 | SneakerwaveLos Angeles County, CA · forecast zone Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles High surf conditions impacted the beaches of Los Angeles county. In Redondo Beach, four people were swept off a jetty by a sneaker wave. Three of the individuals survived, but the fourth individual died. | 1 | 4 | – | |
| 2014-10-12 | SneakerwaveSan Mateo County and Santa Cruz County, CA · forecast zone San Francisco Peninsula Coast Three people were on the beach at Gray Whale Cove when a Sneaker Wave washed them out into the ocean. A dozen beachgoers formed a human chain and pulled the three from the water. Emergency responders performed CPR on a woman pulled from the surf. She was airlifted to a hospital but died. The other two people rescued ... | 1 | 2 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, deaths direct and indirect as filed.
The most recent sneakerwave records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-29 | SneakerwaveSan Francisco County, CA · forecast zone San Francisco | 0 | 1 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | SneakerwaveCurry County, OR · forecast zone Curry County Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-27 | SneakerwaveCoos County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-02 | SneakerwaveCurry County, OR · forecast zone Curry County Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-05-02 | SneakerwaveCoos County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-12 | SneakerwaveCurry County, OR · forecast zone Curry County Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-12 | SneakerwaveCoos County and 2 more, OR · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-05 | SneakerwaveCurry County, OR · forecast zone Curry County Coast | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.