Dec 23, 2024
Long duration high surf caused damage across Monterey Bay and resulted in numerous attempted water rescues on December 23. Around 1244 PST, around 150 feet of the Santa Cruz wharf collapsed and fell into Monterey Bay. Prior to 1300 PST, wave heights at buoy 46284 were building to around 18.7 feet with a dominant period of around 22 seconds. True wave direction was likely more westerly, but due to the location of the buoy, the wave direction read largely southwest.
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Storm Events Database (event 1223034). Narrative written by NWS staff at the time of the event.
This event is one of many recorded floods in Northern Monterey Bay County. See the full FEMA flood zone map, NFIP claim totals, and disaster history for the area.