By Khalida Sarwari
Two boats capsized in Santa Cruz Harbor and a sailboat crashed into a nearby bridge as tsunami waves hit the region this morning, a police spokesman said.
The tsunami was sparked by an 8.9-magnitude earthquake off the northeast coast of Japan on Thursday night.
An advisory evacuation order went into effect at about 6 a.m. for beachfront homes near the harbor and remained in effect as of 11 a.m., Santa Cruz police Deputy Chief Steve Clark said.
Surges of water caused several boats to come loose at the harbor and crash into each other, spectators said.
Clark said two boats have capsized, and a sailboat crashed into the harbor bridge.
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office estimates that the surges have caused about $2 million in damage in the area.
Clark said surges are still coming in every 15 to 20 minutes, and “we’re concerned about the next high tide,” which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
No injuries have been reported, he said.
Authorities are continuing to monitor the harbor and beach area, Clark said.