No California Damage From Tsunami Alert

Feb 27, 2010 11:10 pm US/Pacific

No California Damage From Tsunami Alert
CBS 5 Earthquake Section
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / AP / BCN) ―

A meteorologist monitors the tsunami situation from his computer in Taiwan's central weather bureau after a 8.8-magnitude quake struck Chile on Feb. 27, 2010.

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Tsunami waves from Chile's deadly earthquake hit California shores Saturday, barely eliciting notice from surfers and others who ignored advice to stay away from beaches.

No injuries or significant property damage was reported along Northern California's coast after a tsunami advisory was in place for a good part of the day Saturday. A tsunami advisory for all of the California coastline was no longer in effect, it was canceled Saturday evening.

While no damage was reported along the Bay Area coastline, there were rising water levels in some areas of the region caused by a massive earthquake in Chile overnight.

National Weather Service officials said shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday that the tsunami advisory was no longer in effect because although water levels had risen by about a foot along the region's coastline during the day, significant water level rises were no longer expected.

The tsunami advisory -- which is not as serious as a warning -- was issued for the entire U.S. West Coast after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck in Chile at 3:35 a.m. Saturday, causing dangerous waves that were believed to have spread throughout the Pacific Ocean.

However, the tsunami delivered nothing more than a glancing blow to California, Hawaii, and most of the Pacific. Tsunamis are a series of waves that can batter a region for hours after the initial waves arrive, according to the weather service.

The California Emergency Management Agency received reports of varying turbulence up and down the coast, but nothing significant.

Waves arrived in the Bay Area about 1:30 p.m., but despite the rise in the water level, no damage was reported along the coastal parts of the region.

Officials with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area closed a road at the southern end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge for about 30 minutes when high waves crashed over the road. But no damage was reported along the 60 miles of coastline the National Park Service manages as part of the recreation area.

Residents were warned to stay off local beaches, but no National Park beaches, including Fort Funston Beach, Ocean Beach, China Beach, Baker Beach, Fort Point, Crissy Field, Rodeo Beach, Horseshoe Cove at Fort Baker, Tennessee Valley Beach, Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Limantour Beach and Drakes Beach, were closed.

In San Mateo County, the sheriff's office did close beaches in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay.

In addition, the Pillar Point harbormaster watched for any changes in the waves, while the sheriff's office, Cal Fire and police agencies up and down the coast worked together to monitor the situation, sheriff's Lt. Ray Lunny said.

Officials in neighboring Marin County also said there was no damage.

Far to the north, the harbormaster for Crescent City Harbor reported surges and water rushing out of the harbor, though no damage was reported. Crescent City is about 360 miles north of San Francisco.

In Southern California, the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said water surged 2.3 feet in Santa Monica shortly before 12:30 p.m. and 2.9 feet in Santa Barbara shortly after 5 p.m. The tsunami hit with less force in other areas, including a 1.1-foot surge in San Diego.



The tsunami advisory didn't deter surfers competing in a qualifying match of a Professional Longboards Association contest at San Diego's Ocean Beach.

"It's a nonevent," said Maurice Luque, spokesman for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The Chilean earthquake and several aftershocks that followed are estimated to have caused at least $15 billion in damage in Chile, according to Eqecat, an Oakland-based risk-modeling firm that estimates damage caused by catastrophes.

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