SANTA CRUZ, California.
AP
—

Two people were rescued and a third swam to safety after a California pier under construction partially collapsed and fell into the sea on Monday as the state’s central coast was hit by heavy surf from a severe storm that was expected to hit would bring hurricane-force winds to the seas of the Pacific Northwest, authorities said.

Residents were warned to stay away from low-lying areas near beaches around Santa Cruz Wharf, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco, as the storm quickly intensified.

“You are risking your life and those of the people who would have to try to rescue you by getting into the water or too close to the water,” the Bay Area office of the National Weather Service said on the social platform X.

Lifeguards rescued two people from the water, Santa Cruz Fire Department officials said. No one was seriously injured, Mayor Fred Keeley said.

The mayor said the collapsed portion of the wharf had been damaged over time. The building was in the midst of a $4 million renovation after last winter’s destructive storms.

“It’s a disaster for those at the end of the wharf,” said David Johnston, owner of Venture Quest Kayaking, who was allowed onto the pier to check on his business.

Tony Elliot, director of the Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, estimated that about 150 feet (45 meters) of the end of the wharf fell into the water around 12:45 p.m. The wharf was immediately evacuated and will remain closed indefinitely.

Some of the pier’s pilings are still in the sea and continue to pose a “serious danger” to boats, the mayor said. Each post weighs hundreds of pounds and is pushed down by powerful waves.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been informed and the state Office of Emergency Services is coordinating with local officials, his office said.

Meteorologists warned that storm surges would continue to increase throughout the day.

“We assume that what is coming is more serious than what was present this morning,” said the mayor.

Ocean waves along California’s central coast could reach 60 feet (18 meters) as the Pacific storm gains strength through Monday, the weather service said.

“A rapidly developing storm will bring hurricane-force winds to areas well offshore of the Pacific Northwest tonight,” the weather service’s Ocean Prediction Center said on X.

The broken end of the pier had been shut down during renovations. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin Restaurant, floated about half a mile (0.8 kilometers) down the coast and became wedged on the bottom of the San Lorenzo River.

Those who fell into the water were two engineers and a project manager who were inspecting the end of the wharf, officials said. There were no members of the public in the area.

Building inspectors now examined the remaining structural integrity of the Santa Cruz Wharf.

Monday’s collapse came about a year after the Seacliff State Beach Pier just off the coast was damaged beyond repair by a severe winter storm.

Further up the West Coast, dangerous surf conditions and waves of up to 30 feet (9.1 meters) were expected from the central Oregon coast to southwest Washington. Forecasters said winds could peak near 80 mph (130 km/h) and a high surf warning was in effect until 10 p.m. Monday evening.

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