Tsunami warning for Crescent City downgraded to advisory after surge damages H Dock; no injuries reported

Crescent City officials warned Wednesday that dangerous ocean conditions remain even after the National Weather Service downgraded a tsunami warning for Del Norte County to an advisory.

Lead meteorologist Matthew Kidwell of the National Weather Service said the warning was lowered to an advisory Wednesday morning, adding, “I just got word that, that we've gone down to an advisory for Crescent City.” He warned that conditions are improving but hazardous currents and fluctuating tides could persist through the day and into tonight.

The downgrade followed overnight surge activity that caused visible damage in the Crescent City Harbor. Harbormaster Mike Rademacher said a surge at about 02:40 a.m. lifted the decking on H Dock so the decking “became lodged on the pilings and was eventually submerged,” producing what he described as major structural failure. He said electrical arcing was observed and that, “All the movements at this time, both arrivals and departures, are prohibited until further notice under my authority” to protect public safety. The harbor district plans to release surveillance video of the event.

City Manager Eric Weir said the surge reached low-lying areas but that core city infrastructure — including water and sewer — remained intact and downtown was open. He said the surge “reached right around 8 feet, I think,” in low-lying areas but did not cause downtown flooding, and urged residents to move to higher ground when warned. Weir also described rapid tide fluctuations, saying officials were “still seeing tide fluctuations of about 3 feet … in a matter of, say, 6 to 12 minutes,” and warned those conditions make beaches especially dangerous.

County Administrative Officer Neil Lopez said the county established a temporary evacuation point at the H Street Veteran Memorial Building, where 11 people spent the night and five others stayed in their vehicles. He asked residents to share emergency messages and noted county updates would be issued via the Everbridge alert system as information from Cal OES, the National Weather Service and the tsunami warning center becomes available.

Officials said there were no reported injuries from the event. “No injuries have been reported,” said Sen. Maguire during the briefing. Evacuated RV park residents are being sheltered at Del Norte High School, a Home Depot parking lot and a Walmart lot north of the city until conditions allow their return.

Authorities reiterated safety guidance: avoid beaches, harbors and low-lying coastal areas while hazardous currents continue; keep off docks and allow emergency personnel to operate without interference. The National Weather Service and Del Norte County Emergency Services will continue to post updates; officials said they will return with another live community update this afternoon or evening if needed.

The most immediate tasks identified by officials are damage assessment at the harbor, restoring safe power at docks, and monitoring ocean conditions for additional surges or changing hazards. Harbor officials estimated damage in the tens of thousands of dollars per affected dock but are continuing assessments before releasing final figures.