UPDATE: 1pm 3-11-11.
Damage Reports Pour In
At 11:15 a.m., a large surge came through the Santa Cruz harbor and sent dozens of boats, some as big as 40-feet long, turning onto their sides and slamming into other boats that were tied up at nearby slips. Several boats sank and people in the crowd gasped loudly and yelled as the boats' masts hit the water.
A tsunami-related surge severely damaged at least two docks and dozens of boats at the Santa Cruz Harbor in Santa Cruz. It's the one just south of the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and is highlighted by the Santa Cruz Breakwater lighthouse.
A Santa Cruz County official is estimating damage in the harbor at $14 million.
Earlier this morning, the water started to pour into the harbor around 7:45 a.m. and put all moorings to the test. The first surge knocked one boat and two dock-like objects free. Later surges knocked dozens of boats free as they began to slam into each other. Some capsized under the water's pressure.
Some boats sank; others ran free in the harbor. The surge went both ways. The water came in and then went back out with just as much force. One reporter charactized the surge and force of the water was similar to the Grand Canyon.
A tsunami from the devastating Japan earthquake hit the coast of California this morning, causing significant damage in Crescent City, Santa Cruz and other parts of Northern California. There were no reports of major damage or flooding in Southern California.
Crescent City, site of a deadly tsunami four decades ago, appears to be particularly hard hit, with residents reporting that about three dozen boats were "crushed" in the harbor and that surging waters significantly damaged or destroyed most of the docks. In Santa Cruz, waves jostled boats and damaged docks.
Officials said there is potential for continued unusual ocean tides along the coast for the next few hours, and beaches will remain closed.
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發表於 2011-3-13 09:15 AM
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