Waves up to 30 feet forecast to rock California coast, days after deadly weather and pier collapse
The National Weather Service issued high surf advisories Thursday morning for large portions Northern California, with waves up to 30 feet high expected to hit portions of the coast until Sunday.
In San Francisco, the weather service issued a high surf advisory for the Bay Area, expected to last from 10 a.m. local time Thursday until Sunday afternoon. Forecasters predicted 20- to 30-foot waves and cautioned swimmers and boaters to stay out of the water and avoid potentially dangerous conditions.
Farther north, the weather service office in Eureka, California, issued a high surf advisory that was expected to last until 11 p.m. on Thursday in coastal Del Norte, Northern Humboldt Coast, Southwestern Humboldt and Mendocino Coast counties.
"Large breaking waves along the coast will lead to increased wave run-up on beaches with waves topping and washing over large rocks and jetties," the weather service said. "These large waves can be erratic and unpredictable. Use extra caution near the surf zone as these large waves will be capable of sweeping people into the frigid and turbulent ocean water."
The weather service also cautioned residents to keep off of jetties, piers and other structures on the water.
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A week of deadly weather
While Christmas offered a brief reprieve, stormy seas have rocked many parts of the state in the past week.
On Monday, a portion of the Santa Cruz Wharf, located about 70 miles south of San Francisco, collapsed into the Pacific Ocean, sending three city workers into the sea after high surf slammed the coast.
Two city workers were rescued by lifeguards and the third made it to safety without help after a 150-foot-long section of the pier that was undergoing renovations collapsed as "the result of very strong waves crashing into it," according to Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley.
Elsewhere on Monday, large waves left one person dead, and two others were reported missing.
First responders were called to Sunset State Beach, a state park in Watsonville, around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a man trapped under debris washed up from a large wave, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office told Paste BN. The man was transported to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
About 30 minutes south, at Marina State Beach, Marina police and fire personnel responded to a water rescue incident around noon Monday, according to a news release from the Marina Police Department.
Initial reports indicated that an adult male had been "overcome by high surf and pulled into the water," according to police. Bystanders attempted to help the individual, but they could not rescue them because of large waves and strong currents, police said.
Additionally, an adult male went missing Monday in Pebble Beach. Emergency responders were dispatched to Ocean Road following reports of a victim being washed off the rocks into the ocean, Cal Fire said in an emailed statement to Paste BN Tuesday.
"Despite an extensive search effort, challenging ocean conditions forced rescuers to terminate their search," Cal Fire said in the statement.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for Paste BN. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.