The tsunami generated by the Japan earthquake last week traveled more than 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean before striking California’s coast, and still it unleashed enough force to do millions of dollars in damage to two harbors.

 

In Northern California, the port of Crescent City was hit by an eight-foot swell that sank 16 boats and destroyed all of the docks. The damaged was estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars, and the local fishing industry has all but shut down.

 

Towards the central part of the California coast, the harbor at Santa Cruz suffered more than $25 million in damage—an amount that’s triple the size of the port district’s budget. The harbor has been closed since the tsunami struck, costing the local economy $206,000 a day in lost revenues. Thirteen boats were sunk, although at least eight have been recovered. Another 100 vessels are in need of repairs.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Sleepy California Town, and a Tsunami Magnet (by Jesse McKinley, New York Times)

Harbor Businesses Eager for Port to Reopen (by Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz Sentinel)

Tsunami Hits Santa Cruz Harbor (Gut Wrenching Production, YouTube)

Tsunami Hits Crescent City Harbor (slimliquor, YouTube)