Waves up to ten meters high and rapid currents: In the US state of California, the authorities have ordered the evacuation of some coastal communities. The giant waves posed an “extraordinary risk,” it was said.
Authorities have ordered evacuation for some coastal communities in California due to high waves. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has predicted flooding in low-lying coastal areas. Waves up to six meters high and strong currents posed an “extraordinary risk”.
A coastal flood warning and a high surf warning were issued for the San Francisco Bay Area until early Saturday afternoon (local time). Waves of eight to 10 meters are expected on west-facing beaches along the central and northern California coast, it said.
Huge wave takes several people with it
Ventura, about 105 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, has been affected by extreme weather conditions since Thursday. Homes and businesses were flooded with seawater, sand and marine debris and buildings were damaged. At least eight people were reportedly injured.
A huge wave in Ventura County, north of the metropolis of Los Angeles, swept away several people and vehicles and flooded a hotel. Video footage showed how the meter-high wave washed over a seawall in the city of Ventura and dragged people several meters away.
“Strong waves and life-threatening rip currents pose an exceptional risk of drowning at sea and damage to coastal structures,” the forecasters warned. Torrential currents could “drag swimmers and surfers out to sea.”
meeting two Extreme weather phenomena
The treacherous surf and threat of coastal flooding is being blamed on a Pacific storm system that dumped heavy rains across much of the West Coast on Friday night, coinciding with the recent occurrence of exceptionally high tides known as king tides. According to experts, global warming is causing extreme weather phenomena to occur more and more frequently.