High surf eases; new swell expected later in week

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

Back-to-back swells that pounded O'ahu's North Shore this weekend have eased, although the National Weather Service forecasts another one to arrive later this week.

The weather service yesterday downgraded its high-surf warning to an advisory on the northwest-facing shores of O'ahu, Kaua'i, Moloka'i and Lana'i, while a high-surf warning remained in effect for the northwest shores of Maui and the Big Island.

Wave heights dropped yesterday and are expected to continue to diminish until Thursday or Friday, when surf may again reach advisory-level heights.

The American Red Cross closed its three emergency shelters in Waialua and Sunset on Sunday morning. On Saturday, with the weather service predicting 50-foot waves, about two dozen residents and campers decided to stay overnight at the shelters after 25-foot surf crashed into beachfront properties.

O'ahu Civil Defense called for an evacuation after water started to enter homes on Ke Nui Road, said spokesman John Cummings. But ultimately, only minor flooding and damage were reported.

"People had expected worse," Cummings said. "But when daylight came, it wasn't as bad" as anticipated.

The Red Cross hasn't received any requests for help from North Shore residents since Saturday but is providing temporary shelter for a Big Island family on Ali'i Drive in Kailua whose home was flooded, said Jocelyn Collado, spokeswoman for the Hawai'i Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Sunset Beach and Pipeline boasted the biggest surf on O'ahu yesterday, with waves reaching 20 feet. But strong north winds and stormy, unclean conditions made the waves too rough to surf.

According to lifeguards the northwest swell did manage to wrap around the west side to some south shores. Outside reefs in town, including Castes in Waikiki and Lighthouse off Diamond Head, had waves between 4 and 6 feet.

Surf levels dropped to 8 to 10 feet on the Big Island, where a 50-year-old man apparently drowned Sunday afternoon. According to Big Island firefighters, he was swept out to sea by a strong current generated by the large waves at Ho'okena Beach in South Kona.

The weather service expects northerly winds to switch to trades overnight, making for cleaner surfing conditions islandwide.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at 535-8103 or ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.