Tsunami — Coastal Del Norte, California

2025-07-30 to 2025-07-31 · Coastal Del Norte, California

Event narrative

Tsunami waves impacted the Crescent City Harbor beginning around midnight on the 30th of July. The waves reached peak amplitude quickly in the first few hours just under 4 feet in amplitude. The waves then continued for over 24 hours, finally falling below the 1 foot tsunami advisory threshold during the morning of the 31st. The waves severely damaged or destroyed H-Dock in the harbor and damaged many of the connections between the other docks. The initial damage estimate is around $1 million.

Wider weather episode

A magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred off the Kamchatka Peninsula in eastern Russia on the 29th of July, Pacific Time. The tsunami wave then traveled across the Pacific and impacted the Northwest California coast around midnight on the 30th. Tsunami waves continue to impact the coast through the 30th into the 31st at levels exceeding warning and advisory levels in Crescent City.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1269808. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.