Santa Cruz Shuts Beaches and Wharf as Huge Waves Threaten Coast
WHO:
San Francisco Chronicle - The Capitola Police Department issued an evacuation warning for Capitola Village.
San Francisco Chronicle - The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation warnings for Potbelly Beach, New Brighton State Beach and its campground area, the Las Olas neighborhood, Beach Drive in Rio Del Mar, and Platform Beach.
San Francisco Chronicle - Santa Cruz Fire Chief Rob Oatey warned that entering the water or approaching hazardous coastal areas risks the lives of visitors and marine safety personnel who may be called to rescue them.
San Francisco Chronicle - National Park Service spokesperson Joshua Winchell said Ocean Beach would not close and advised visitors to watch from the esplanade above the O’Shaughnessy Seawall, not from the beach.
NY Post - The National Weather Service issued high surf warnings.
WHAT:
KSBW - Evacuation warnings were issued for four zones in Santa Cruz County.
KSBW - The sheriff’s office and Capitola Police Department issued the warnings at 2 p.m.
KSBW - Zone codes listed were CTL-E048 (Las Olas Drive and Beach Drive areas), CTL-E031 (Pot Belly Beach Road area), CTL-E027-A (Capitola wharf, south of Cliff Drive and west of Soquel Creek), and CTL-E029-B (Capitola Village).
KSBW - Meteorologist Erica Hoyte said an Alert Day was issued for Saturday for the Monterey Peninsula and Santa Cruz.
KSBW - A High Surf Warning was set to begin that evening and continue through early Sunday morning.
KSBW - Dangerous sneaker waves and powerful rip currents were expected to create life-threatening conditions near the water.
San Francisco Chronicle - Evacuation warnings were issued in parts of Santa Cruz County ahead of exceptionally large surf and coastal flooding.
San Francisco Chronicle - Santa Cruz planned to close all public beaches and the Santa Cruz Wharf; the county urged people not to return to the coast when conditions temporarily calmed.
San Francisco Chronicle - Wave heights of 25 to 35 feet were expected at most beaches, potentially reaching 50 feet or higher at Mavericks.
San Francisco Chronicle - Significant offshore wave heights near San Francisco were 12 feet and forecast to reach 24 feet; another swell could bring heights close to 20 feet.
San Francisco Chronicle - The National Weather Service warned of powerful waves, coastal erosion and a very high drowning risk, advising people to stay out of the water, avoid rocks and seawalls, and never turn their backs on the ocean.
San Francisco Chronicle - The San Francisco Zoo and the city’s golf courses closed because of high winds. Wright’s Beach Campground was also closed, and several outdoor events were canceled.
San Francisco Chronicle - Asilomar State Beach and the Coastal Trail were set to close; parks officials said the closure could be extended to Tuesday if dangerous surf persisted.
NY Post - An iconic California pier was to close because of threatening tides and high surf.
WHERE:
KSBW - CTL-E029-B covers Capitola Village between Capitola Avenue and Monterey Avenue, and areas west of Riverview Avenue and south of the railroad track.
San Francisco Chronicle - Closures and warnings affected Santa Cruz County, Capitola Village, beaches along California’s coast, Monterey County, Sonoma County, and San Francisco’s Ocean Beach.
San Francisco Chronicle - Waves were expected along the coast from near the Oregon border to Big Sur; Mavericks is in San Mateo County.
WHEN:
San Francisco Chronicle - The article said Santa Cruz beaches and the wharf would close from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday.
San Francisco Chronicle - The article said waves would build Friday evening, peak Saturday morning, and another swell was expected Sunday night into Monday.
San Francisco Chronicle - The article reported that Wright’s Beach Campground was closed through Tuesday.
WHY:
San Francisco Chronicle - A Northern Pacific low-pressure system was bringing wind, rain and large waves; the article also identified strong El Niño events as a hallmark of huge waves.
NY Post - The pier’s closure was prompted by high surf warnings and threatening tides.
HOW:
San Francisco Chronicle - Capitola’s warning said, “Consider evacuating now” and “Stay away from beaches,” noting emergency access could be delayed.
San Francisco Chronicle - The sheriff’s office said, “Residents should not wait for conditions to worsen before considering leaving.”
San Francisco Chronicle - The National Park Service said Ocean Beach would remain open because its size made closure impractical.
(UPDATED November 14, 2026 09:58 UTC)
Evacuation warnings cover Capitola Village and nearby Santa Cruz County coastal areas amid dangerous surf. Waves could reach 35 feet, bringing life-threatening currents, coastal flooding and erosion. Santa Cruz plans to close public beaches and its wharf; officials urge people to stay away.
--
(UPDATED November 14, 2026 04:59 UTC)
Evacuation warnings are in effect in parts of Santa Cruz County as dangerous surf approaches. Waves could reach 25 to 35 feet, with Mavericks potentially seeing 50-foot breakers. Officials are closing beaches and warning people to stay away from shorelines and seawalls.