US tsunami warnings are canceled after four-foot surge capsized boats in LA, flooded parts of California and forced US submarines on West Coast to dive for cover
The National Weather Service called off its tsunami warning for the West Coast after wave surges caused Los Angeles boats to capsize, streets to flood in Santa Cruz Harbor and US submarines to dive for cover following a massive underwater volcano eruption nearly 6,000 miles away on Saturday.
The eruption, near Tonga, set off a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that sent a tsunami crashing across the Pacific, causing waves to wreak some havoc on the West Coast.
A Los Angeles bystander caught the moment a police boat broke loose from the dock due to the rising waters and waves, causing the ship to capsize, nearly taking another boat down with it.
It was one of many vessels that capsized due to the tsunami's effect, as LA and San Francisco Bay officials urged residents to stay alert and away from beaches and the shore.
Santa Cruz Harbor experienced the worst of the flooding due to the wave surges in the West Coast
The waves completely flooded a parking lot by the docks at Santa Cruz Harbor on Saturday
An LA police boat was capsized by the rising waters and rocking waves. The sinking ship nearly took out a nearby boat
Los Angeles and San Francisco Bay officials warned residents to stay away from the shore due to the wave surges
The volcanic explosion sent waves rocking throughout the Pacific. LA experienced surges of one-to-four foot tall waves
Further north in Santa Cruz Harbor, streets and homes experience mild to severe flooding as the city experienced a surge of waves every 20 to 30 minutes, KSBW reported.
'We had a few piles break. Some flooding, a couple boats that were submerged but not quite sunk but obviously a little bit of damage there,' Santa Cruz Harbor Master Blake Anderson told the TV station.
'A few vehicles in the parking lot were actually picked up and moved a few feet. We had a few electrical pedestals that were submerged in the north harbor so we're having PG&E take look at those.'
A local photographer in the city recorded a road near the shore being flooded as rising waters also trapped vehicles on the streets. Some residents were evacuated.
A surge at the upper half of the Santa Cruz Harbor caused the shop by the docks to flood
Roads began flooding early in the day, with the streets closest to the shore experiencing some of the worst flooding
A car is caught in rising water at Santa Cruz Harbor on Saturday as tsunami flooding strikes low-lying areas
Roads all over the Santa Cruz Harbor experienced mild to severe flooding
The situation was more peaceful up north in Oregon and Washington, which were spared from flooding.
The states were bracing themselves for possible tsunami activity earlier in the day as a submarine off the coast of Seattle was seen diving underwater to avoid the incoming waves.
Satellite images showed a huge volcanic eruption, with a plume of ash, steam and gas rising like a mushroom above the blue Pacific waters.
A sonic boom could be heard as far away as Alaska.
The oceans were relatively clear up in Washington, where boats began clearing out early Saturday morning and submarines went under water for cover
The volcanic eruption sent out a blast so powerful it could be seen from space
The eruption cut the internet to Tonga, leaving friends and family members around the world on Sunday still anxiously trying to get in touch to figure out if there were any injuries and the extent of the damage.
Even government websites and other official sources remained without any updates.
The Tonga Meteorological Services said a tsunami warning was declared for all of the archipelago, and data from the Pacific tsunami center said waves of 2.7 feet were detected.
In Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported waves that measured 1.6 feet in Nawiliwili, Kauai and 2.7 feet in Hanalei.
The National Weather Service said there were reports of boats getting pushed up in docks, but the hazard diminished as the morning went on.
'We are relieved that there is no reported damage and only minor flooding throughout the islands,' the tsunami center said, describing the situation in Hawaii. The tsunami advisory for the islands was lifted about 11 hours after the eruption more than 3,000 miles away.
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