California tsunami advisory enters second day; boats, docks damaged in Ventura Harbor

March 12, 2011 | 8:01 am

A tsunami advisory remained in effect along Southern California's coast Saturday as the National Weather Service reported continued wave surges that caused new damage. The Weather Service urged people to stay away from beaches and piers.

Tidal gauges are still reporting surge activity at all points along Southern California, the NWS said in a statement.

At Ventura Harbor, officials said the surges combined with high tide to break a dock in half, sink a 16-foot boat and break a few other boats from their moorings.

Friday afternoon on Catalina Island, swells toppled about 10 boats and loosened pier moorings.

Officials have not said how long the tsunami advisory would last.

The Coast Guard called off the search Friday for a man who was swept out to sea near Crescent City, a town of 7,500 people 20 miles south of the Oregon border. The man had been taking photographs with two friends at the mouth of the Klamath River when they were pulled into the ocean. The friends were able to swim to safety.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in four counties, citing "conditions of extreme peril to the infrastructure and the safety of the persons and properties within the counties of Del Norte, Humboldt, San Mateo and Santa Cruz."

-- Sam Allen, Margot Roosevelt and Shelby Grad

Photo: In the harbor at Santa Cruz, a group of men try to save a boat that tipped over in a tsunami surge. (Kim White / Getty Images)

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