Storm surge causes $20 million in damages to Santa Cruz Harbor, leaving boat residents in limbo 

As the waves crashed into the Santa Cruz Wharf on Monday causing a partial wharf collapse, they also slammed into the Santa Cruz Harbor, causing more than $20 million in damages to its docks and infrastructure. 

Sean Rothwell, assistant harbormaster, was at the harbor during the surge on Monday. He said workers tried to prepare by moving many boats to safer places and securing vessels. But when the storm hit, the waves that came through the harbor were some of the biggest he’s seen. 

“This was the worst storm energy event to hit the harbor in at least my career, of about 20 years,” he said. “I’ve seen plenty of disasters and plenty of storms, and this was the worst one I’ve seen.”

The surge caused damage to electrical infrastructure, harbor pilings, embankments, docks and ramps and 15 vessels in the harbor flipped over, while some sank to the harbor floor. Debris from the partial wharf collapse, including 23 or 24 pilings, also made its way into the harbor.

Santa Cruz Harbor port director Holland MacLaurie said the harbor staff were still assessing damages and they didn’t yet have a timeline for when all damages will be repaired. 

She said the harbor has experienced similar circumstances after the 2011 and 2022 tsunamis. “This surge event was significant – it was larger than forecasted,” she said, adding that harbor staff’s main goal now is to restore safety to the harbor. 

In the north part of the harbor, where damage was most severe, she said water and electrical services had not been restored yet, displacing those who live on their boats for a temporary period. MacLaurie said about 50 people in total live on boats in the harbor but she didn’t have a number for how many lived in the north harbor where residents are advised to leave their homes. 

“Unfortunately, people who are living on their boat, they’ll need to pursue some kind of longer-term accommodations, because we just don’t have a timeline for when they can return to the docks,” she said. “It is not safe to return to those docks, especially without the utilities being restored.” 

The north harbor area is separated from the south harbor by the Murray Street Bridge. The south harbor is the side of the harbor nearer to the ocean. Water and waves coming in from the ocean pass through south harbor then to the area under the bridge, which is narrower, and causes the waves to gain energy into the north harbor.

On Monday, the waves gained a damaging level of momentum. 

“The wave energy and surge energy was pretty significant in its intensity. There is a pinch point right at the bridge, and so it kind of focuses that energy as the water is moving north,” said MacLaurie. “All of that energy moving through the harbor and working its way through that narrower section at the bridge intensifies.”

MacLaurie said the harbor contracted with engineering firm Woolpert to conduct surveys of the harbor to identify and map out the submerged objects and vessels. With those survey results, Cushman Construction will find the objects and remove them to prevent further damages. 

The port director said that the $20 million estimate in damages to the harbor will likely increase, and that estimate doesn’t include the damage to vessels or private property. 

Tom Burbank’s 17-foot fishing boat was located at I dock in the north harbor when the storm arrived. He went to check on it when the storm came through but was asked to leave by Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputies. 

“When I came back the next day, my boat was gone,” he said, adding it was located capsized in the back of the harbor. 

He filed an insurance claim, and he’s not sure he’ll get another boat. 

“Time will tell,” he said. 

Jeral Tennyson, who has lived on his boat in the north harbor for 30 years, luckily only lost one cleat in the swell event. Still, he has no electricity and likely won’t for some time — but he doesn’t plan on leaving.

“We’re gonna get a generator down here and tough it out until the power gets turned back on,” he said. “Whenever that is.”

The City of Santa Cruz declared an emergency on Dec. 24, which will allow city officials to seek state and federal support to fund repairs. 

MacLaurie added that the harbor was also preparing for the forecast swell in the coming days and “bracing” for potential impacts. 

“We’re getting accustomed to seeing those events kind of magnify in their frequency and intensity. It’s incredibly devastating to witness it firsthand,” she said. “And it’s really unfortunate, but it’s what we’ve been dealt and so we’re moving forward with trying to recover and rebuild as quickly as possible.” 

Tennyson, too, notices the destruction intensifying over the years. After a tsunami in 2011, “I don’t think the number of lost boats reached double-digits.” This time, he said, “it’s way worse.”

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