Giant waves cap off California’s remarkable year of weather phenomena

Giant waves crashed into the California coast on Thursday, causing major headaches but also bringing joy to those enjoying the unusual waterfront show.

Waves of more than 9 meters broke on the state’s coasts, prompting sharp warnings, such as one The Bay Area Division of the National Weather Service: “The ocean is NOT your friend today!”

High surf warnings remain in effect until early Friday, the Weather Service said, and waves of more than 40 feet are possible. The unrest on the coast was caused by a series of storms that saw hurricane winds blowing across the Pacific Ocean and pushing large waves towards the state.

“Stay away from rocks, jetties, piers and other waterfront infrastructure,” the weather service added. “Never turn your back on the ocean!”

Further along the coast in Ventura, a beach town south of Santa Barbara, 60-year-old Brandt Hammer was cleaning up Thursday afternoon after waves crashed into residential streets and flooded some homes. The water carried sand and debris, clogging storm drains.

Mr Hammer and his wife moved to Kingston Lane, which runs all the way to the beach, after their previous home nearby burned down in the Thomas fire in 2017.

“We’ve always said the only thing we have to worry about now is tsunamis,” he said, laughing. “A lady who has lived here for 30 years said she has never seen it like this.”

Becky Clearwater, 68, said she walked from her home in Ventura to the beach Thursday to survey the storm surge and was surprised to see its consistency and strength.

“It was wave after wave after wave,” she said.

The waves destroyed a bench engraved with the names of 20 dogs that neighbors had lost over the years, she said.

“It’s been our little thing for a long time, but today we lost it,” she said. “It’s gone, but we already have plans in the works to build another one.”

In Stinson Beach, a coastal town about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of the Golden Gate Bridge, the local fire department ordered the evacuation of several minor roads near the beach due to the high risk of damage from waves and coastal flooding. Residents and visitors were told to “evacuate immediately for their life safety,” and a community center was converted into an evacuation point. The order was lifted later in the day.

Heather Vantress, the owner of Sandpiper Lodging at the Beach, said she noticed on her morning drive to the hotel that the tide seemed very high, but her business was not affected because it was high enough above the shore.

Thursday’s waves were nothing compared to the city’s repeated storms last winter, when California was hit by a series of atmospheric rivers.

“Last year it was so bad that people panicked – that was even worse,” she said. “The beach was really destroyed last year, but it all came back.”

Santa Cruz County officials warned residents to prepare to evacuate near Seacliff State Beach, not far from where intense waves tore a house from its foundation in January. On Thursday, crews elsewhere were clearing debris scattered on the ocean shoreline, and several car interchanges near area beaches were closed. Some streets in the area were flooded.

But the storm surge also brought excitement, at least among the big wave surfers out at Mavericks, the famed surf spot off the coast of Half Moon Bay, a city 30 miles south of San Francisco.

A local surf camera measured waves at “XXL,” and noted that they ranged from 30 to 40 feet in height. Crowds of people lined the cliffs to watch the surfing spectacle.

As residents in Ventura cleaned up, they were aware that more storm conditions and large waves were expected Friday.

“I’m more worried about tomorrow,” Mr. Hammer said.