Part of the Santa Cruz pier collapsed Monday amid powerful waves along the California coastline, the National Weather Service said on X.
Live aerial footage from KSBW-TV shows a portion of the pier floating away in the ocean.
About 150 feet of the wharf’s end collapsed at approximately 12:45 p.m., sending one city project manager and two contractors into the ocean, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley said in a news conference. Two of the people were rescued, and one the other rescued themself, the Santa Cruz Fire Department said on social media.
None of the workers suffered serious injuries, Keeley said. Officials believe everyone who went into the water has been found.
The Santa Cruz Wharf was open to the public earlier Monday, according to the city’s website, although a high-surf advisory was in effect. As of 1 p.m., the wharf was closed, Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation said on social media.
The pier’s crumbling into the water comes during some of the largest ocean swells of the year, with waves expected to reach up to 50 feet on some beaches. The weather service is urging the public to avoid beaches during the fierce conditions.
“You are risking your life and the lives of others by getting in or too close to the water,” the weather service said about the Capitola area on X.
High-surf warnings have been issued by the weather service for almost the entire Central Coast until 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the agency warning of “dangerously large breaking waves” and “life-threatening swimming and surfing conditions.”
Towering and forceful waves have also pushed some of the seawater into Capitola Village. The area is now closed to the public, and village residents in the 100 blocks of Esplanade and Monterey should leave or shelter in place, the Capitola Police Department said. The most updated information can be found on the department’s Facebook page.
Officials are also preparing for more high tides and ocean swells to continue in the area over the next several days.
“We are anticipating that what is coming towards us is more serious than what was there this morning,” Keeley said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is coordinating with local agencies in response to the collapse, his office said in an update on social media shortly before 2 p.m.
Keeley said the portion of the wharf that smashed into the ocean was already selected to be demolished and repaired. During the collapse, some of the pier’s pilings, some restrooms and the remainder of the Dolphin Restaurant all fell into the water.
“Restroom No. 3 is all the way to the beach and is sitting there being pounded by waves as we speak,” Keeley said. The pilings and piers in the ocean are “serious hazards,” as they are being propelled by the waves, he said.
Until Monday, the Santa Cruz Wharf, built in 1914, was 2,745 feet long and the longest wooden pier in the country, according to the Santa Cruz County website. In October, the Dolphin restaurant at the end of the wharf was demolished to allow for repairs, as many pilings underneath the eatery had been damaged during a winter storm in December 2023. The restaurant site was identified as a “key” area in the city’s Santa Cruz Wharf development plan thanks to its commercial potential, though a mention of the “fairly sizeable wind-protected seating area” hints at the location’s exposure to weather.
Many of California’s historic piers have been increasingly difficult to maintain as intense winter storms plow through the popular landmarks, likely supercharged by climate change. Another pier in Santa Cruz county, the Seacliff State Beach pier, was removed in 2023 after intense atmospheric rivers continually damaged the iconic landmark over the years.
By Madilynne Medina – sfgate