Tsunami: Swell overturns 10 boats on Catalina Island

Although most of Southern California escaped harm from the tsunami generated by the 8.9 magnitude  earthquake off Japan, waves damaged boats and some docks on Santa Catalina Island.

At 1:30 p.m., a tsunami-related swell surged into a harbor, overturning 10 boats including a sheriff's skiff. Officials are trying to determine the extent of the damage. Several pilings were shaken loose at a pier.

"They become submerged to varying degrees," said Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore, adding that officials turned most boats upright and tied them back to their docks. 

Most of the region saw small waves and no flooding. But some Northern California coastal towns such as Crescent City and Fort Bragg were battered.

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Del Norte, Humboldt, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties following the devastating earthquake and tsunami, which sent waves crashing into the California coast, causing damage to ports, harbors and infrastructure.

The waves inundated some beaches, ports and harbors, destroying public and private property and threatening numerous structures. In some cities, residents were evacuated and businesses were forced to close.

Humboldt and Santa Cruz counties already proclaimed a local emergency and Del Norte and San Mateo counties are expected to follow suit.

ALSO:

Tsunami: Swell overturns 10 boats on Catalina Island

Tsunami: Santa Cruz downgrades warning to advisory

Tsunami: In Crescent City, worries about ‘angry’ ocean

-- Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[jc]

good day

yes the WRATH OF NATURE is a scary thing, IT is real scary

i have seen a 60 foot sail boat pull a dock apart as it was secured to tightly,

it was on a great lake ERIE ONTARIO

JC

[jonrone]

The San Gabriel river flowed backwards.

[Brock]

And no photos?