(This story was updated to add new information.)
Tsunami warnings and advisories remain in effect for a swath of California’s coast Wednesday after a magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula threatened to bring dangerous waves to the West Coast.
Tsunami activity continued to build in the early hours of Wednesday, July 30, The National Weather Service Eureka reported. The first tsunami waves began to impact their coastal area earlier, according to a report made just after midnight.
National Weather Service offices reported overnight the timings of when the tsunami began to reach California’s coast.
The tsunami had reached Arena Cove and was making its way down the coast, the NWS Los Angeles reported after midnight. At 2:04 a.m., the NWS office said that the Port San Luis gauge showed a rapid and damaging surge, going from low to high tide in just a few minutes.
Further down the coast, the first tsunami wave reached La Jolla shores at 1:45 a.m., registering less than half a foot, said the NWS San Diego.
But the threat isn’t over, officials are reminding.
Here’s where a tsunami advisory remains in effect as of early Wednesday, July 30, as well as what we know about damage in California and the duration of this tsunami.
Tsunami warnings, advisories for California so far Wednesday
In the latest alert from the National Tsunami Warning Center, just before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, tsunami advisories are in effect from Rincon Point, 15 miles southeast of Santa Barbara, to the Humboldt/Del Norte line and up to the California-Oregon border.
This latest alert means there has been a downgrade from a tsunami warning to a tsunami advisory for a portion of Northern California, as earlier Wednesday, the National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning remained in effect for the coastal areas of California from the Humboldt/Del Norte line to the California-Oregon border.
Meanwhile, a tsunami advisory in effect for the coastal areas of California from Rincon Point up to the Humboldt/Del Norte line remains unchanged.
But not all of California is under threat as of early Wednesday, July 30.
The National Tsunami Warning Center announced before 6 a.m. that the tsunami advisory has been canceled for the coastal areas of California from the California-Mexico border to Rincon Point, which is 15 miles southeast of Santa Barbara.
That means there is no tsunami advisory, or any tsunami alerts from the National Tsunami Warning Center, in effect for the coastal portions of Ventura and Los Angeles counties and further south. However, officials are saying that regardless of whether an advisory is in effect or not, to stay out of the water and harbors.
What is a tsunami warning versus a tsunami advisory?
A tsunami warning is the highest level of an alert issued, meaning dangerous coastal flooding and powerful currents are possible, according to the National Weather Service. People are urged to move to high ground or inland. The second-highest alert level is a tsunami advisory, in which strong currents and waves may pose danger to those in and near the water. People are urged to stay out of the water and away from beaches and waterways.
Was there tsunami damage in California?
It doesn’t appear that California has sustained any significant damage as of early Wednesday due to the tsunami. Santa Monica said that no major impacts have been reported in the city or Los Angeles County in a post on X.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said that the city has seen “limited impacts from tsunami waves overnight” in a post on X.
“We’re not anticipating morning commutes to be significantly affected at this time,” Lurie said.
However, the NWS Eureka said at 7:47 a.m. Wednesday, “some damage has been reported around the Crescent City Harbor.” It’s not immediately clear what that damage entails.
‘A tsunami is not just one wave’: Officials remind Californians to stay safe
Meteorologists remind people that a tsunami is not just one wave but a “packet of waves that can last for several hours.”
The NWS San Francisco Bay Area provided that information in a post on X with a time lapse of Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay, where boats could be seen rocking up and down.
They described the “rapid surging of water” as creating dangerous currents.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Lifeguards advise the public to stay out of the ocean due to hazardous currents, Santa Monica said on X.
Far north, Crescent City is alerting residents that portions of the city, including its Beachfront Park, B Street Pier, and surrounding beaches, are closed Wednesday until it’s deemed safe for people to return.
Can you surf in a tsunami?
The short answer is no. Tsunami waves are different than regular waves used by surfers, says the University of Hawaii:
How long do tsunamis last?
In Crescent City, the tsunami is forecasted to last 21 hours, according to the NWS Eureka as of 8:40 a.m. Wednesday.
The forecasted tsunami duration for Humboldt Bay is 12 hours, and eight hours for Fort Bragg.
Further south along California’s coast, the forecasted duration of the tsunami for Port San Luis is 24 hours, according to the NWS Los Angeles.
“Large tsunamis may continue for days in some locations, reaching their peak often a couple of hours after arrival and gradually tapering off after that,” according to the National Weather Service.
Tsunami waves hit California: See how big waves got
The height of a tsunami can vary, but most are less than 10 feet high when they strike land, according to the NWS.
“Reefs, bays, entrances to rivers, undersea features, and the slope of the beach can all influence the size, appearance, and impact of tsunamis when they strike the coast,” NWS said.
Here’s a roundup of some of the wave heights recorded by NWS offices around the state as of 9:00 a.m. Wednesday:
Did Hawaii get a tsunami?
Tsunami waves reached Hawaii after 7 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 29, for Californians wondering about the impacts to loved ones also in the Pacific.
After the magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Russia, Hawaii’s Department of Emergency Management issued a tsunami warning for the state that afternoon. Concerned about the threat to the coastline, the Honolulu Department of Emergency Management called for an evacuation. Sirens sounded at around 3 p.m. local time, causing a frenzy of traffic and crowded streets. Waves reached “amplitudes of up to 5.7 feet in Kahului, Maui” and 4.9 feet in Hilo, less than the maximum amplitude of 9.8 feet that had been projected, USA TODAY reported. Later Tuesday, the tsunami warning was downgraded to an advisory, and evacuation orders were lifted.
How many tsunamis have hit California?
More than 150 tsunamis have hit California’s shore since 1800, according to the California Geological Survey. Many were barely noticeable, but a few have caused fatalities or significant damage — most recently, the 2011 tsunami that not only devastated Japan but caused $100 million of damage to California ports and harbors.
Moss Landing Harbor in Monterey County sustained severe damage during the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Almost all dock piles were damaged and had to be replaced. Damages totaled more than $2 million with 2020 inflation.
The most destructive tsunami to hit California occurred on March 28, 1964, in Crescent City in northern California. Several surges reaching 21 feet high swept into the city near the Oregon-California border four hours after a magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska. The tsunami killed 11 people and destroyed or damaged 289 buildings, causing an estimated $15 million in damage in 1964 money.
Desert Sun intern Tallulah Rector and USA TODAY contributed to this story.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Did the tsunami hit California? Portions of coast remain under warnings Wednesday
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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