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Santa Cruz Pier Collapse: A report quoted officials as calling the debris a serious hazard. They warned the public to be careful on or near the water as debris continues to spread over the next week.
Visuals showed broken wood, debris and a building floated in the ocean. Lifeguards rescued two people. (X/@CollinRugg)
A 150-foot section of the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf in the US state of California collapsed into the ocean during a powerful storm. Visuals showed broken wood, debris and a building floated in the ocean.
Lifeguards rescued two people, while a third person managed to swim to safety. Their conditions were unknown.
Local reports stated that the coastal roads in Santa Cruz were closed following the pier’s partial collapse. The Santa Cruz Wharf is about 70 miles south of San Francisco.
Videos posted on social media showed part of the pier adrift in the water as waves lashed the coastline. Santa Cruz resident Joe Merrill, who was working on the pier when it broke apart, was quoted by news agency AFP as saying that the collapsed happened suddenly.
NEW: A large portion of the Santa Cruz pier in California collapses into the water, taking multiple people with it.City workers could be seen still on the pier after it collapsed into the ocean.
A 150-foot portion of the pier started floating away after the area experienced a… pic.twitter.com/i8AK8zeGC5
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 24, 2024
“About 300 to 500 feet (90-150 meters) of the wharf collapsed. The crane, cargo… all of it just collapsed. Two people went in the water, but they were rescued. We had divers, boats, everything,” he said.
The National Weather Service reposted a video of the aftermath, explaining: “A portion of the Santa Cruz Pier has collapsed, and is floating away.
“Look at the ominous wave action on the horizon. You are risking your life, and those of the people that would need to try and save you by getting in or too close to the water.”
The agency said towering waves were expected in the area over the next day.
“Dangerous and life-threatening beach conditions are forecast with very high surf, rip currents, sneaker waves, and coastal flooding through Tuesday for ALL beaches along the Pacific Coast,” a message on X — formerly Twitter — said.
“Very rough seas, breaking waves to 40 feet (12 meters) and extremely dangerous conditions.”
The storm hitting California was expected to bring rain to many areas, even the usually-dry far south around Los Angeles, and snow over the mountains.
It was then expected to move inland. “A series of Pacific storm systems will cross the Northwest US this week bringing gusty winds, periods of heavy rain, and mountain snow,” a forecast said.
“A few locally severe storms could occur across parts of central and East Texas on Tuesday.”
A report quoted officials as calling the debris a serious hazard. They warned the public to be careful on or near the water as debris continues to spread over the next week.
Santa Cruz Main Beach and Cowell’s Beach are both closed due to the dangers.
(With inputs from AFP)
- Location :
San Francisco, California, USA
