SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: A San Francisco Fire Department uses a ladder truck to keep an eye on surfers in distress during a rescue operation at Ocean Beach, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, during a large swell compounded by the tsunami surge from the Tonga volcano explosion. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
On Saturday, an undersea volcano erupted in the Pacific Ocean more than 5,300 miles away at Tongatapu, the largest island in Tonga, prompting tsunami advisories and evacuations along the California coast. The worst of the flooding occurred before 9 a.m., and California appeared to dodge significant damage.
The weather service reported the highest waves along the West Coast by 11:15 a.m. — 4.3 feet at Port San Luis near Avila Beach and 3.7 feet at both Crescent City and Arena Cove in Mendocino County. Waves reached 2.9 feet at Point Reyes, 2.4 feet in Monterey, 1.1 feet in San Francisco, 0.9 feet in Alameda and 0.7 feet in Richmond.
A pickup truck is partially submerged in Santa Cruz Saturday morning as the surge from a tsunami created by an underwater volcano near Tonga inundated a parking lot at the Upper Harbor. Moments later all the water receded from the lot before flooding it again shortly thereafter. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel) HALF MOON BAY, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: A small motor boat boat is submerged after getting pinned under a pier at Pillar Point Harbor during a tsunami tidal surge at Half Moon Bay, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. A tsunami advisory was issued for the California coastline after a large underwater volcano erupted in the Pacifica Ocean near Tonga. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) PACIFIC GROVE, CA – JANUARY 15: Spencer Painum and Celia Gram both watch the waves crash against the rocks along the shoreline during a tsunami advisory in Pacific Grove, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano that erupted Saturday in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga prompted tsunami advisories and evacuations along the West Coast, including San Francisco and Monterey Bay. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) A man takes a picture of the big waves in the breakwater in Venice beach while he walks with his dog on January 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. A tsunami advisory was in effect for the West Coast of the United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska after an undersea volcano erupted in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga. (Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: A surfer in distress caught outside the breakers gestures for help from the San Francisco Fire Department at Ocean Beach, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. Waves were large during the tsunami advisory caused by the Tongan volcano eruption. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Rescue swimmers from the San Francisco Fire Department try to spot a surfer caught in the waves at Ocean Beach, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, during a tsunami advisory caused by the Tongan volcano eruption. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Rescue swimmers from the San Francisco Fire Department rush out to rescue a surfer caught in the waves at Ocean Beach, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, during a tsunami advisory from the Tongan volcano eruption. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) PACIFIC GROVE, CA – JANUARY 15: Pacific Grove Police Officer Gilbert Alvarado places tsunami advisory danger signs at Lovers Point Park after authorities closed part of the park near the shoreline due to a tsunami advisory in Pacific Grove, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano that erupted Saturday in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga prompted tsunami advisories and evacuations along the West Coast, including San Francisco and Monterey Bay. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) MONTEREY, CA – JANUARY 15: Beachgoers Robert Lopez, of Visalia, left, and Cali Bender of Vacaville, right, and her two children Avery, 7, and Knolyn, 9, exit the beach after authorities closed the beach due to a tsunami advisory in Monterey, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano that erupted Saturday in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga prompted tsunami advisories and evacuations along the West Coast, including San Francisco and Monterey Bay. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) MONTEREY, CA – JANUARY 15: Scuba divers inter the water at San Carlos Beach during a tsunami advisory in Monterey, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano that erupted Saturday in the Pacific Ocean near Tonga prompted tsunami advisories and evacuations along the West Coast, including San Francisco and Monterey Bay. (Doug Duran/Bay Area News Group) Tsunami from underground volcano near Tonga hits the Small Craft Harbor in Santa Cruz, California on Saturday January 15, 2022. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel) Sheriff’s deputies stand by after closing the harbor launch ramp as the tsunami surge flows through the Santa Cruz Small Craft harbor on Saturday. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel) A tsunami caused by the eruption of an underground volcano near Tonga hits the Small Craft Harbor in Santa Cruz, California on Saturday January 15, 2022. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel) A harbor official pulls debris from rising waters out of Santa Cruz harbor in Santa Cruz, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano has erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday. Following the eruption, a tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Pacific coast. (AP Photo/Nic Coury) The Fuel Dock at the Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor sits askew Saturday morning during a tsunami surge. (Shmuel Thaler/Santa Cruz Sentinel) People watch waters rise in Santa Cruz harbor in Santa Cruz, Calif., Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. An undersea volcano has erupted in spectacular fashion near the Pacific nation of Tonga on Saturday. Following the eruption, a tsunami advisory was issued for Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Pacific coast.(AP Photo/Nic Coury)
