Your source for high surf hazard information
Our DisasterAWARE Pro platform, as well as our Disaster Alert™ public app, provides information about high surf happening around the world. Information is derived from a variety of scientific monitoring agencies.
Reporting Threshold
DisasterAWARE provides high surf hazard information for most shores with 8-foot full-face surf heights from trough to crest.
Coverage
√ Hawaii Only (Automatically Processed)
Disaster Alert™ Mobile App
Disasters happen fast. We alert you faster.
(FREE for public use)
SmartAlert™ Advanced Early Warning for High Surf Hazards
DisasterAWARE Pro now includes PDC’s proprietary SmartAlert technology. You select the areas and hazards to monitor and we’ll alert you to threats within or approaching those areas automatically.
Alerting severities:
Severity levels are designated by the authoritative reporting agency. The following thresholds are for Hawaii.
Advisory| Location | Wave Height |
|---|---|
| North-Facing Shores | 15ft |
| West-Facing Shores – Big Island | 8ft |
| West-Facing Shores – Remaining Islands | 12 Ft |
| South-Facing Shores | 8 Ft |
| East-Facing Shores | 8 Ft |
Warning| Location | Wave Height |
|---|---|
| North-Facing Shores | 25Ft |
| West-Facing Shores – Big Island | 12Ft |
| West-Facing Shores – Remaining Islands | 20 Ft |
| South-Facing Shores | 15 Ft |
| East-Facing Shores | 15 Ft |
Available Formats
Professional versions: SMS Text | Email | App Alerts
Public version: App Alerts Only
Be Aware and Prepare
Always heed instructions from local authorities and receive alerts about major hazards from PDC’s DisasterAlert app or on the DisasterAlert website.
Act now
If authorities have issued a high surf warning for your area, remain out of the water!
- Remain out of the water. Know your limits: “when in doubt, do not go out.”
- Do not turn your back to the ocean.
- Rock jetties can be deadly in such conditions. Stay off rocks and away from dangerous surf.
Plan ahead
Live in or plan to visit an area that experiences high surf?
- Know your area’s risk for high surf.
- Monitor surf forecasts and local conditions.
- Plan activities away from high surf areas.
Hazard Brief
Real-Time Impact and Needs Assessment
Through DisasterAWARE Pro and Disaster Alert you get access to PDC’s unique exposure modeling capabilities—providing accurate assessments of exposure and need for hazards in any part of the world.
How to access Hazard Brief (available for all hazards)
Helpful Features and Layers
DisasterAWARE provides layers of information to help assess the impacts of high surf hazards. These include but are not limited to:
• Ocean current velocity*
• U.S. watches, warnings and advisories*
• Ship observations*
• Ocean buoys*
• Wave height forecast*
* = For disaster management practitioners only
Are you a disaster management practitioner and want to know more?
Specialized High Surf Products
for Disaster Management Practitioners
DisasterAWARE provides specialized situational analysis reports for use by disaster management practitioners. Some of these are generated automatically with every advisory, while others are custom created by PDC as needed to support hazard response.
