Terrifying video captured the moment a freak wave smashed through a pier railing in the Northern California city of Capitola.
Video shared with KSBW showed a wave slamming into the Capitola Wharf and shredding a railing around 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
No injuries were immediately reported.
Residents expressed concern for the historic wharf, which suffered damage from severe storms in 2023. The wharf reopened in 2024 after more than $8 million in reconstruction work. It’s unclear whether it will need additional repairs.
“Praying for our Capitola Wharf and Village,” one person wrote.
The surf and dangerous tides have also raised flooding concerns, prompting local officials to issue an evacuation warning for coastal residents.
“The Capitola Police Department has issued an EVACUATION WARNING for low-lying coastal areas within the City of Capitola due to significant wave activity and hazardous surf conditions,” the department wrote in an Instagram post.
“Large waves have the potential to reach coastal homes, businesses, and properties, causing dangerous flooding and making access to affected areas difficult or unsafe.”
The warning covers the Capitola Wharf Area, South of Cliff Drive and west of Soquel Creek, and the Capitola Village Area between Capitola Avenue and Monterey Avenue, including areas west of Riverview Avenue and south of the railroad tracks.
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Capitola is a small city in Santa Cruz County, about 40 miles north of Monterey.
Coastal communities across California are bracing for serious swells as a “storm train” barrels down on the Golden State.
“DO NOT GO TO THE BEACH/COAST TODAY,” the National Weather Service’s Bay Area office wrote on X.
“Buoy 46042 this morning hit 32 ft @ 21 seconds. At this height fully exposed beaches could see 40+ft waves with sets in excess of 60 feet. Not a safe day to be in or even near the water. Watch from webcams and local news.”
Forecasters later reiterated their call to “skip the beach.”
“Skip the beach today—the waves are impressive, but they’re also deadly. No selfie is worth risking your life,” they wrote in response to a video showing sneaker waves in Pacifica, a coastal city in San Mateo County.
The massive wave can be seen surging over a sea wall, sending shocked onlookers sprinting away from the churning water. Waves were so severe that they appeared to be threatening a coastal Taco Bell in Pacifica.
Southern California is also expected to see large waves, though not as severe as those battering the northern coast.
The National Weather Service issued a high surf advisory for Los Angeles County that went into effect at 2 p.m. Friday and continues through 3 p.m. Tuesday, with surf expected to reach 7 to 12 feet on Saturday.
