Santa Cruz's Historic Pier Collapses in Severe Pacific Storm

A historic wharf on Santa Cruz's waterfront has collapsed in heavy surf, sending three inspectors into the water and scattering debris along the waterfront. 

Over the weekend, forecasters predicted a severe storm system arriving along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. Extreme waves and hurricane-force winds were in the marine forecast, and a high surf advisory warned of waves of 30-40 feet, with the highest sets approaching 60 feet. Some beachfront municipalities ordered temporary evacuations of waterfront buildings as a precautionary measure. 

In the town of Watsonville, 10 miles east of Santa Cruz, a man got trapped beneath debris on the beach and was killed; his body was recovered at about noon on Monday. A second man went missing from a nearby park, and local authorities believe he was likely pulled out to sea. 

BREAKING REPORT: ?? Large portion of the Santa Cruz wharf has collapsed into the ocean.. pic.twitter.com/EPyz7Piaft

— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) December 23, 2024

At about 1245 hours Monday, the same heavy waves destroyed the last 150 feet of the historic Santa Cruz wharf. This section had been damaged in previous storms and was already closed to the public for ongoing repairs. Some construction machinery fell into the water, and three people who were associated with the repair project - two engineers and one inspector - went in as well. Lifeguards were stationed nearby in advance of the storm, and they arrived on jet skis to retrieve two survivors, who were reportedly afloat on large sections of debris from the wooden wharf. The third survivor made it to shore on their own. 

"Our staff, our contractors had no sense or indication that the wharf was going to give way. Again, they were out there doing inspections as part of our preparations to make sure that the wharf was safe," an official with the Santa Cruz Department of Parks and Recreation told local outlet KTVU. 

The historic wharf at Santa Cruz was built during WWI and was about half a mile long - the longest of any wooden wharf in the Western hemisphere, according to the city's parks department. The city of Santa Cruz was investing about $4 million in repairs to the portion of the structure that collapsed Monday.