The last significant tsunami to hit the coast of Southern California reigned in 1960, and only four others preceded it since the 1800s; so, when San Diego was awakened to a Tsunami warning on the morning of Saturday, January 15, chaos erupted. 

A volcanic explosion 5,337 miles off the coast of San Diego, near the remote Pacific nation of Tonga, triggered this alert. 

One fatality was confirmed in Tonga since the morning of the explosion, however several of the island’s inhabitants have gone missing. Two fatalities can be credited to the aftermath of the explosion, as it caused dangerous tsunami waves in northern Peru. 

The aftermath of this calamity did not restrict itself to the island’s isolated barriers. A current update tracked the heavy, toxic ash drifting thousands of kilometers to the west. The pacific coastal regions, in both Japan and the United States, faced tsunami scares. 

Coastal surges affected the California beaches, and although the conditions posed no risk of flooding, it was advised to avoid the water due to dangerous rip currents, explained the National Weather Service in Los Angeles.

Some California coastal locations measured waves of more than four feet. The National Weather Service posted an update to Twitter which read: “These water level surges can overwhelm and overtake people and pull them out to sea.”

In some locations, such as La Jolla, water levels rose by six inches, whereas in other locations, like Crescent City, elevated as high as 3.7 feet, says the National Weather Service. 

A deluge caused significant damage to the Santa Cruz Harbor, damaging boats, the parking lots, docks, and relative stores. 

By the afternoon, it was clear that the surges would recede so the advisory was lifted. However, aftershocks led to minor surges after the warning ended and significant drops in air pressure.