Giant surf, though not quite as big as last week’s swell, is expected to hit north and west-facing shores this morning, and continue in the high-surf-warning size of 25 feet for north-facing shores most of the week. With the swell
Giant surf, though not quite as big as last week’s swell, is expected to hit north and west-facing shores this morning, and continue in the high-surf-warning size of 25 feet for north-facing shores most of the week.
With the swell coming from a more westerly direction, Westside beaches may also see surf in the 20- to 25-foot range this week.
The swell is expected to slowly subside below high-surf advisory levels of 15 feet by Saturday, Dec. 25, Christmas Day.
Because of the westerly swell direction, the Kekaha area will be the focus for county Civil Defense efforts, said Mark Marshall, Civil Defense administrator.
“We’ll be monitoring it throughout the week,” Marshall said, adding that county and state Civil Defense officials have been in close contact with the National Weather Service, monitoring the swell.
Kaleo Ho‘okano, Kaua‘i Fire Department Ocean Safety Bureau co-supervisor, said yesterday afternoon that waves on the North shore were slowly rising, and the Westside was still small.
“It’s supposed to rise slow (yesterday) and go down slow, and be around for a while,” Hookano said via phone from the Westside yesterday. “It’s supposed to be raging” today.
In expectation of the swell, National Weather Service forecasters issued a high-surf warning for north- and west-facing shores yesterday afternoon.
The NWS forecasters also forecast that Kaua‘i will bear the brunt of the west-northwest swell, blocking the other islands’ shores from the largest waves.
If the forecast is correct, Ho‘okano said the public should expect beach closures around the north and perhaps west shores this week.
The public is also encouraged to stay well away from the shore if the surf is big, as huge sets can push water much farther inland than most people expect, he said.
The swell was generated last week by an exceptionally strong storm with hurricane-force winds covering a large portion of the central Pacific.
As for last week’s swell, Marshall said that while last Wednesday’s swell was big, it was not the 50-foot-plus behemoths originally forecasted. No major damage was reported, he added. “It was way below what they predicted,” Marshall said. “There was a little debris on roadways, but nothing noteworthy.”
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or mailto:tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
