[Two people were rescued and a third swam to safety after a section of the Santa Cruz Wharf in California partially collapsed and fell into the ocean on Monday. The collapse occurred as a major storm brought heavy surf and hurricane-force winds to the Pacific Northwest. The storm was expected to bring waves up to 60 feet to the central coast of California, prompting warnings for residents to stay away from low-lying areas near the beaches.
The section of the wharf that collapsed was in the middle of a $4 million renovation following destructive storms last winter. The structure was damaged over time and had been shut down during the renovations. Two engineers and a project manager who were inspecting the wharf at the time of the collapse were rescued by lifeguards, and no one had serious injuries.
The mayor of Santa Cruz, Fred Keeley, said the collapse was a “catastrophe” and that about 150 feet of the end of the wharf fell into the water. The wharf will remain closed indefinitely, and some of its pilings are still in the ocean and remain hazards to boats.
The state’s Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the situation. Forecasters warned that storm swells will continue to increase throughout the day, and the weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center said that a rapidly developing storm will bring hurricane-force winds to the areas well offshore of the Pacific Northwest tonight.
The collapse of the wharf comes about a year after the Seacliff State Beach pier just down the coast was battered beyond repair by a heavy winter storm. Further up the West Coast, dangerous surf conditions and waves up to 30 feet were expected from the central Oregon coast up through southwestern Washington, with winds that could peak near 80 mph.
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