WATSONVILLE, CA. – A severe storm hit Santa Cruz County on Monday, bringing flooding and high surf that reportedly fatally trapped a man under debris on a beach and later partially collapsed a pier, throwing three people into the Pacific Ocean.

The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet high as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest. Some

California cities ordered the evacuation of beachfront homes and hotels early Monday afternoon as forecasters warned that storm surges would continue to increase throughout the day.

“We expect what’s coming is worse than what was here this morning,” said Fred Keeley, mayor of the city of Santa Cruz, where the pier collapsed.

In Watsonville on Monterey Bay, first responders were called to Sunset State Beach, a state park, around 11:30 a.m. Monday for a report of a man trapped under debris.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office believes a large wave trapped him there.

The man was pronounced dead at a hospital. Further details were not immediately available and his name was not released.

The storm’s high surf also likely pulled another man into the Pacific Ocean around midday Monday at Marina State Beach, nearly 13 miles south of Watsonville, authorities said. Strong currents and high waves forced searchers to abandon their efforts about two hours later as conditions deteriorated. The man remained missing on Monday evening.

In Santa Cruz, the municipal wharf under construction partially collapsed and plunged into the sea around 12:45 p.m., taking three people with it. Two people were rescued by lifeguards and a third swam to safety. Nobody was seriously injured.

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. It 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.

The demolished end of Santa Cruz Wharf had been closed during renovations. The portion, which included public restrooms and the closed Dolphin Restaurant, swam about a half-mile down the coast and became wedged at the bottom of the San Lorenzo River.

Those who fell into the water were two contract 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 examined the remainder of the pier’s structural integrity.

Santa Clara County