LOS ANGELES (KNX) — Most of the West Coast of the United States remains under a tsunami advisory after an undersea volcano erupted near the Pacific island nation of Tonga early Saturday morning.
The highest waves recorded off the California coast thus far were at 4.3 feet at Port San Luis, 3.7 feet at Crescent City, and 2.9 feet at Port Reyes, according to the National Weather Service's San Diego office.
Santa Cruz Fire Department Chief Rob Young told CNN on Saturday that even one-to-two feet waves can be dangerous to beachgoers, supporting a shutdown of public beaches up and down the California coastline.
"Everybody that was walking up to us in between said, 'well, it's 1 to 2 feet, what's the big deal?' And then when they saw the high mark on these docks, they realized that's 6 feet higher than right now, and the swing happens that fast. So if you're out on a beach and you have a 6-foot increase in the water level inside of 3 minutes, you may be stuck in the water and not able to exit," he said.
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