All of Central California, including the Santa Cruz coast, is under advisory for a minor tsunami, following the 8.0 earthquake in American Samoa yesterday.
All of Central California, including the Santa Cruz coast, is under advisory for a minor tsunami following the 8.0 earthquake in American Samoa yesterday. According to the National Weather Service, amplitudes of 6 inches to 2 feet was expected to hit at 9:30pm last night. Park rangers and lifeguards closed the beach early last night and issued warnings to boats and low-lying houses along the coast. The greatest threat posed by this tsunami was stronger than average currents.
The last tsunami to hit the California coast occurred in November 2006, following an earthquake off the coast of Japan. The last reported tsunami-related casualty in Santa Cruz occurred in 1946, following an earthquake off the Aleutian islands. Water levels suddenly rose 8 feet, killing a man on Cowell Beach. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
