Tsunami at Pillar Point Harbor, Half Moon Bay, CA

8:30 AM on March 11, 2011: Tsunami from Japan arrives at Pillar Point Harbor, near Half Moon Bay, California. Video shot from the radio tower NW of the harbor. Compressed to 5x normal speed. Inflows occurred at about 8:30 and 8:52 AM. Floating structure loses it's anchor point at about the 4 minute mark, during the second major surge.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• march
• 2011
• japan
• earthquake
• tsunami
• california
• half moon bay
• pillar point harbor

[clarkewi]

I used to moor my sailboat right where those two boats are. Did it for over 10 years and always wondered what a tsunami would be like. I heard some of the old timers say that the '46 Easter tsuami sent boats over those wetlands and back up to the airport which is well behind where this camera is shooting from.

[richandirina]

@clarkewi - I was pretty surprised to see the abalone farm going adrift during the inflow. At least it wasn't YOUR boat! Guess the current must have been mighty strong. Videos showing the current at Crescent City is pretty dramatic. I'd imagine the experience with this one would have been a little different here without the breakwater in place since 1961.

[zeadood]

kinda uneventful

[richandirina]

@zeadood - Certainly not a *dramatic* event, but still interesting as far as actually seeing the surge enter and leave the harbor.

[clarkewi]

@richandirina Take a look at some of the footage from Santa Cruz Harbour. They really got hit hard with some serious loss of property. Half Moon Bay Harbour is actually more sheltered as the outer harbour acts as a buffer. Its those long straight harbours that get hammered.

[akarpowicz]

Thanks for posting. Uneventful at my beach 10 miles south.  The video isn't worth posting.