Residents were warned to stay away from low-lying areas near the beaches around the Santa Cruz Wharf, about 70 miles (112 kilometers) south of San Francisco, as the storm rapidly gained strength. Tony Elliot, the head 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. Some of the wharf’s pilings are still in the ocean and remain “serious, serious hazards” to boats, the mayor said. Building inspectors were now looking at the rest of the Santa Cruz Wharf’s structural integrity. Monday’s collapse came about a year after the Seacliff State Beach pier just down the coast was battered beyond repair by a heavy winter storm.

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Persons: Fred Keeley, ”, David Johnston, Tony Elliot, Gavin Newsom Organizations: AP, Santa Cruz Fire Department, Venture, Santa Cruz Parks & Recreation Department, Gov, Emergency Services, Prediction, National Weather Service Locations: SANTA CRUZ , Calif, California, Pacific Northwest, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Pacific, San Lorenzo, Beach, West Coast, Oregon, Washington, Portland , Oregon