in santa cruz, jeff bush kron 4 news. >>catherine: rescue crews still looking for survivors in the quake and the sun on the trigger. the 8.9 tremor one of the biggest ever measured. those of us in 1989 can remember enjoying 17 seconds of a major quake. people say the japanese quake lasted for more than two minutes. >>the quake was 900 times as strong as the 1989 quake. it was so powerful the entire japanese coast permanently shifted by 7 ft. people ran for safety hundreds of miles from the epicenter in tokyo. while the quake was terrifying, what came next was beyond scary. the 30 ft. tsunami struck within 15 minutes of the quake. this boat was trapped in a huge whirlpool. others were smashed into the shore. the water swept inland for miles carrying away cars, boats, houses and some on fire. the quake touched off a fire at a refinery and even more worrisome, damaged a cooling system at a nuclear power plant. the pressure in the plant is rising, the government said some radioactive gas might have to be vented. it is ordered

len ramirez, in santa cruz. thank you. >>> as the waves rolled on the county coastline, evacuations were ordered for several of the low-lying cities. we're live in pacifica where people were packed and ready to go. here's don. >> reporter: that's right, allen. it seems like people on the california coast, they were ready. when they got the warnings, they headed to the mountains. we have some video. whatty got -- what they got on top of the mountain was a huge traffic jam. so it looks like a. >>> farthers of the -- few parts of the disaster zone were complete. in pacifica, people were in high spirits but aware that they had been exposed to a very real risk. here's how some of them respond when we talked to them earlier today. >> got a phone call from a friend and turned the tv on. got my -- >> came in and woke me up. >> got my niece up and then she got her daughter up and we started packing. getting the dogs together, making sure we have water. >> there were automated phone calls, of course, to help warn people b

kron 4 his feet was in santa cruz today.urge of water into the santa cruz yacht harbor. the fast-moving water tossed these boats around like there were toys. ripping several stocks in the harbor to shreds. just as quick as the kurds moving, within minutes the water reverses direction taken boats like this leaving a path of destruction. voters like these folks you see here, bracing for another surge to come crashing in. reporting live, kron 4 news. >>pam: we have new video coming into the newsroom. you concede all solid california coastline the water is rushing in to the shoreline and adding up against the shoreline. you could see how strong it was, which is why officials want people to stay away from the shoreline. boat are beached on shore, he did see signs of an encouraging people to stay away from the area. even as nightfall came officials still did not want people in the area along the shoreline as the advisory is still in effect. >>catherine: the lid is details of a japan quake. we told you the official death toll is tw

this portion of santa cruz, downtown, is lit up, and the power went out to this portion of santa cruz an hour ago. this storm is sure to bring a lot more grief the accept cruz and area. >> the rain started to pick up around 10:00 p.m., along with strong gusts of wind. both and more are forecast for tonight. they're taking it all in stride. >> it's no fun. not easy to walk around town. but that's life, right? >> i don't particularly like this weather. i'm ready for sunshine and beach weather. >> reporter: the santa cruz and monterey areas are expecting high winds and a lot of rain. wind gusts are picking up downtown, and at the gusts are expected to range from 45 to 50 miles-per-hour are expected in the santa cruz mountains, where cal fire is preparing their gear for whatever the storm may bring. the have had weather like this this expf know what to expect. >> normally there's an increase in traffic collisions, trees down, wires down, things of that nature, that happen up in the hills up here. >> reporter: this is hail that fell in the mountains today. the pea-sized pellets covered the

on the right you're looking at santa cruz, we heard a couple minutes ago the santa cruz far burgess' pummeled. maybe more than $14 million in damage to the harbor and to the boats. it is been a huge mess in santa cruz as well. videos are being posted online showing the quake in japan, rocking homes and businesses. kimberly has a look at some of those videos. >>kimberlee: the videos were saying showing fires and floods, let's check out this video. you could see the quake of violently shaking this home, items falling off the shelf and eventually the back shelf comes crashing down and you could see it keep him rocking back and forth. a little while later it falls further. the home is still violently rocking in the first off on his bookshelf is completely empty because of box falling down. this is a picture showing a very large crack in the road. this is one of the top reach weeded pictures coming out of japan. it really looks like the earth was completely he and a part. for continuing coverage of the quake in japan and tsunami warnings visit www.kron4.com and stay with us after the brea

in the santa cruz area.bout an hour ago as you were going over 17. i assuming that's the way it came in. were you noticing a lot of traffic heading to higher ground or getting out of the glare. >> absolutely. it was like watching a disaster movie. i had to think, am i watching a movie on the? there was a lot of traffic on highway 17 going up. so it seemed to me a little overkill but there were hundreds of people parked at the turnout areas right there at the top of the summit. almost a party atmosphere as i drove past them and to come into town here. >> you know, we thought for a while there maybe the worst had passed but are people getting nervous where you are? >> reporter: yeah. people are getting a little bit nervous a little more concerned. the people that i have been around right now have been watching it and have been around some people who have lived here for quite some time. they have never seen anything like this before. these are people who, you know, are out at the coast walking just about every

up to three feet in santa cruz. and in half-moon bay we are talking about the potential for waves at about 2.6 feet. so definitely something we are concerned about. i know mike inouye is following the situation when it comes to people evacuating. and i know a lot of people have to get to work today. you can still follow what's happening on nbcbayarea.com. we'll have live updates coming in our newsroom and right online in just minutes. that's for you all day long. we'll continue to watch this for you. and the time is right. 7:24, that's when we expect the first waves in crescent city. pictures are coming up. back to you. >>> thank you, christina. let's take you to san francisco this morning. >> that's right. we'll go to the office of emergency services where san francisco mayor ed lee is expected to speak. they are really trying to coordinate services this morning to get the most information out to folks. let's listen in. all right. i see joanne white there from the fire department. all agencies are coordinating this

in fact, we have our eyes on los gatos, morgan hill, santa cruz.k out the deep dark green echos. this is denoting the moderate rain and that's what is going to move in over the next 24 hours. a whole slug of that. increasing rain and wind overnight, isolated thunderstorms for your sunday. mainly in the morning hours, and then would you believe, our first full week of spring next week, more rain is in the forecast. i want to highlight the high surf advisory in effect. with swells reaching 17 to 14 feet. monterey bay, up to 14 feet. here's a look at the next storm system. a very strong area of low pressure here, and check out the moisture feed just all the way back, almost to the hawaiian islands. we're right here, and the latest track on this storm system has the low and the cold front moving just a little to the south of the bay area, which means most of the heaviest winds and rain will be centered south of san jose. in fact, here's a look at animation beginning at 7:00 tonight. that's not to say we're not going to see some wind and rain here. obvi

and the focal point ended up being right in the santa cruz area. that's what we have seen so far at least in the bay area and the warnings continuing outside. we are not done just yet. remember, there are a lot of aftershocks, some of those aftershocks 7.0 and yeah, they are big-time quakes. so yeah, they generated some big-time swells out there. check out this whirlpool that we had earlier on when we had a surge coming onshore. it brought with it a lot of that water two to three feet in height moving onshore but this is not your typical wave. this is not just a wave lapping at the coastline. this is a whole body of water that's running two to three feet above the rest of the ocean and then sweeping onshore at that high rate of speed. it looks like things have settled down in some spots, but boy, i'll tell you what the santa cruz area just seems to be the focal point right now. they tend to have the harbor built the way it is in such a fashion that that water and that energy is being funneled right into the santa cruz area. so yeah, it definitely t

new >> the massive damage at the santa cruz maurice not that is an estimate. -it could be worse when this is all said and done. look in the distance, you can see boat just sitting on the dock. that is not something you usually see at the murray up. something also want to show you as well. on the stock, he can't see it but just to run five minutes ago the recent upside down boat in the water. their number of upside down votes in the water, they say there are dozens of boats that suffered damage after what is been happening all day. one of the problems they had was one of these bridges went out. it had concrete on it and it crashed into somebody's home. that is the latest from here, for more of the good of jeff bush. >> you could see the sheriff deputies 8, they want people to stay away from high we want because it's so close to the water. over here, you could see a group of spectators who are looking, they're not quite sure what they're looking for or at. they're expecting some sort of a spectacle here near half moon bay. reporting live, kron 4 news. >>pam: to

here along the western shore of santa cruz they start to bend. we call that refraction as the wave bends. coming in closer you can see where the santa cruz beach is you will see them bend there like at four point. so knew -- now you've got momentum and a surge moving into an area that is basically focusing into the water, right, this water is all being focused into shallower and shallower conditions up into the santa cruz harbor here. it all rushes in. that's bad enough. but when it comes out it really gets going. because a lot of water is rapidly being drained. most of the damage we saw this morning was from the boats and what have you that cut loose and hit other boats. if it weren't for there being boats in the harbor most people wouldn't have noticed it. this type of action, what i just showed you, occurred all along. there is the river. it just wasn't as noticeable because you don't have boats and debris in there. so what we saw today unprecedented. that's one of the reasons it is called wave refraction. waves want to bend so they came aroun

live in santa cruz, kimberly tere, nbc, bay area news. >>> the owners of all those boats damaged in santa cruz harbor yesterday were able to get a closer look today. monty francis has that part of the story for us. >> we're looking at broken docks, sunken boats. >> reporter: a tour of the santa cruz harbor showed just what the tsunami left behind. boats upside down, underwater, and docks snapped in half, offer just gone. just 24 hours earlier, as this youtube video shows, many watched in santa cruz as the surge of water overtook the harbor. as boat owners got their first glimpse of the damage, it was especially difficult for the harbor's 60 or so live-aboards, a term used for those who call their boats home and now have to find somewhere else to live. >> i've got a motor home, i've got friends, i've got family. i've got other places i can be. i've been in this community my whole life. >> reporter: boat owner scott summers has the nickname the mayor of u dock, half of u dock was swept away as were many of the boats docked there. >> we're housing some of the people that were live-aboards. w

this is santa cruz. are they house boats or cargo ships that may be out there. >> i think the cargoship tsunami like this, of this magnitude won't bother them at all, they can ride it out very well. inland though, as mike was saying, we have to wait and see how the water backfills or fills into the bays and the rivers and see what the effect are on the house boats then. but if the waves we saw were any indication of what we're gonna get or what we have gotten, i don't think the house boats have too much to worry about. mike, why don't you weigh in on what ian was saying about the waves coming in while we take a look at ocean beach. you see it appears to have picked up on some of these things. >> definitely. i'm trying to watch the buoys off the coast and seeing wave heights from 6 to 13 feet which don't seem to be overly impressive. you know, as far as having a dangerous tsunami move in. so that's what i've been watching. also been watching the water mark on the sand with all these live shots. it seems t

here along the western shore of santa cruz they start to bend. we call that refraction as the wave bends. coming in closer you can see where the santa cruz beach is you will see them bend there like at four point. so knew -- now you've got momentum and a surge moving into an area that is basically focusing into the water, right, this water is all being focused into shallower and shallower conditions up into the santa cruz harbor here. it all rushes in. that's bad enough. but when it comes out it really gets going. because a lot of water is rapidly being drained. most of the damage we saw this morning was from the boats and what have you that cut loose and hit other boats. if it weren't for there being boats in the harbor most people wouldn't have noticed it. this type of action, what i just showed you, occurred all along. there is the river. it just wasn't as noticeable because you don't have boats and debris in there. so what we saw today unprecedented. that's one of the reasons it is called wave refraction. waves want to bend so they came aroun

here in the santa cruz harbor alone. now, this is happening in other harbors throughout california as well but here seems to be some of the worst damage. allen, that harbor mouth is wide and as the surge comes through it really narrows down so that wave action, that power just gets focused and it is like a funnel effect and it just really comes through here. right now if we can go back to a live shot we can show you the water is flowing like a river right now. you can see from our live shot you can see that water is just flowing out. that's another one of those surges. a lot more calm than it was earlier but you can see that action. it shouldn't be flowing that way. this is not a river, this is a harbor. should be calm water in here but you can see that water is just flowing and it is going pretty fast right now. you would have to say that is going 10, 15 miles an hour right now. so we may -- the worst of this may not be over. we may be in for some stuff happening still. i want to focus a little bit on that. vince, if yo

santa cruz mountains down to the valley and along. yolo causeway. water is expected to come up to the bridge. and also up at clear lake at lake port. monitor stage is 8 feet. flood stage is 9. it's expected to reach that thursday evening. thursday evening. so we have another 36 hours to monitor that. but if you're up there, please e-mail me or tweet me and let me know what's going on especially at clear lake. our system is moving in. actually the low is right here. right there. there it goes right up there. as long as it sits there it can funnel in. but as long as the front goes through then you can see right there the areas where it's drier on the backside of that. really lit up like a christmas tree. especially south san jose towards morgan hill and back into the santa cruz mountains and also from about san raphael, napa, concord north up. moving now here in marin county and also sonoma county coast up towards mend county. we can see a decrease in the rain. that's good. next hour or two still in line for rain, bursts of moderate rain. 40s and 50s.

. >> the quake causing problems, mostly santa cruz. boats broke loose. the water is moving just too fast. >> people in half moon bay took the warning to get to higher ground seriously. many drove up highway 92, a mass exodus created a traffic backup that looked like a parking lot on skyline. >> live pictures from sky 7 hd over santa cruz where it appears to be calm at this moment. but there is extensive damage to boats here and some of the docks as well. >> the latest developments now in our team coverage to the bay area's response to japan. live in santa cruz. >> well, there are several road closures around this area, kristen. also the beach boardwalk and wharf behind me are closed and the damage it mounting. take a look at this dramatic video from sky 7. we have had several tsunami surges come into the yacht harbor. the first before 8:00 this morning and the damage as you can see is pretty significant. at least five boats are sunk. many are slammed into the dock by these tide changes. pieces of pilings are floating in the water and being sucked out to

chopper2 was over santa cruz this morning. they estimate the damage there at $50 million. >>> and unofficial evacuations are in place. people remained there for five to six hours before people headed home which created a traffic jam. >>> people lined up across bridges and beaches to get a look at the crashing boats. >>> we have a team of reporters covering the impact of the japan quake here in the area. we begin with allie rasmus, she's in san jose this morning. >> reporter: we're standing over a bridge overlooking san jose harbor. earlier this afternoon there were hundreds of people peering over the edge, checking out the activity and looking at damage like what you're looking at right now. that is part of a dock that broke. we spoke to one woman who was standing on the dock as it started to break off. >> i was trying to run as fast as i could. then the dock broke up between my feet and i leaped across and got to the other side. >> reporter: doris welches boat survived. her boat is not just for fun, it is also her home. which

much more ahead on "today" in the bare, the santa cruz harbor macked by the tsunami.t the coast guard will do to help boat owners who have lost everything. >>> good morning to you at 7:47. right now we do have an update on that explosion what happened on a nuclear power plant in japan. rig right now there are large amounts of radiation spewing out and the evacuation area around that plant has been expanded. but still unclear just how much radiation is in the air and how dangerous the leak is to people. we also don't know how hota reactor is. the explosion happened in morning after the reactor's cooling system failed. that tsunami hit most of the california coast, but the small harbor of santa cruz took quite a beating. today in the bay's monte francis is in santa cruz with how they're faring there. >> reporter: in just about 15 mon minutes or so, the harbor will open so that boat owners can see the damage to their boats. they're using two salvage boats to assess the damage. here is the latest update on that damage. the harbor master says 17 boats sank, at least two bo

. >> the quake causing problems, mostly santa cruz. boats broke loose. the water is moving just too fast. >> people in half moon bay took the warning to get to higher ground seriously. many drove up highway 92, a mass exodus created a traffic backup that looked like a parking lot on skyline. >> live pictures from sky 7 hd over santa cruz where it appears to be calm at this moment. but there is extensive damage to boats here and some of the docks as well. >> the latest developments now in our team coverage to the bay area's response to japan. live in santa cruz. >> well, there are several road closures around this area, kristen. also the beach boardwalk and wharf behind me are closed and the damage it mounting. take a look at this dramatic video from sky 7. we have had several tsunami surges come into the yacht harbor. the first before 8:00 this morning and the damage as you can see is pretty significant. at least five boats are sunk. many are slammed into the dock by these tide changes. pieces of pilings are floating in the water and being sucked out to

, santa cruz mountains, san jose, fremont up to livermore. to the north it's starting to decrease. we're seeing lighter amounts. there are some areas where it's very heavy stretching from eastern solano county, contra costa county back down towards santa cruz mountains. flash flood watch is out. that takes us for wednesday, thursday. clear lake at lake port and clear lake oaks along the coast. santa cruz mountains, coastal mountains and to the valley. ben picked up almost two inches of rain. that's a lot of rain for them. they really don't need that much. but today and tomorrow and probably into early friday possibility of two to four inches on top of that. so as you know we've already had some mud slides up there. possible flooding. keep updated on the latest advisories. this is a five day total. not just today but already have had two inches of rain. santa rosa two-thirds. petaluma two-thirds. napa at a half inch. sfo a third of an inch and san jose picked up two bits so far. upper 40s combine that with the wind it feels much cooler than th

bragg and we will be talking about santa cruz. one person in crescent city who thought he would be brave and go out and take pictures in the river ended up being lost and probably dead. many coastal roads were closed. beaches were closed, including right here in san francisco. b.a.r.t. was not closed but the ferry stopped three runs out of concern for possible problems in the bay. and many flights to japan were out and out cancelled. and those that were in the air already were diverted to other places like osaka and even one went in to an air force base. so it is, all in all, an amazing thing. but the damage to california is significant. so much so that the governor, jerry brown declared four counties, del norte, santa cruz, san mateo an emergency situation and they will receive aid. that's the nuts and bolts of what happened. >> let's turn to paul rogers in santa cruz now. >> belva: you are in santa cruz and witnessed the damage as it took place? >> yeah. i was at the santa cruz harbor from about 9:00 a.m. on. the first surges ca

now nicole isn't santa cruz. is an santa c? she is in the santa cruz. nicole?orter: yes, i am all along the harbor on in santa cruz. >> isabel: what are you saying? >> reporter: right now, the u.s. coast guard is on what has been sunk or damaged in the harbor. what they are looking at is any possibility of fuel, oil in and around the harbor. the focus would be to stop any temporary leaks and find out more about solutions as soon as possible. >> isabel: it was my understanding, nicole they're starting off cleanup efforts. do you see that? >> reporter: that has not started just yet. they are still showing assessing the damage, with photographs through the harbor. several people have with floating- raffs.ts rafts for the most part, they know that there are about 13 boats sound in this harbor. multiple others, damaged are some and 13 are known to be under water. this is not anything you can actually see the damage is below the water. the department of fish and game says of the majority of damage is all of the bankers and the docks and the anchors--the majority of d

moderate rain falling in the santa cruz mountains. leading edge moving toward ukiah a lot of thunder here. that is what we can expect over the next six hours >> we have several spinouts but nothing that is blocking any lanes. let's start off live look east shore freeway, headlights moving westbound, carquinez to the maze is 20 minutes. south bay, 280 at 17 overcrossing, no problem through downtown san jose area, through the santa cruz mountains, they have issued a heavy rain advisory. asking drivers to commute with caution. >> in a national address, japan's prime minister called for his nation to, quote, unite in rebuilding the nation from scratch. it came three hours after the nuclear agency raised the level from a four to five on a 7 would be a chernobyl like meltdown. it puts it on par of pennsylvania's three-mile island. they also show that 16s in people are dead or missing since the quake. >> japanese government officials and energy experts are cautiously optimistic about the fukushima daiichi plant. plant officials connected the

. >>> santa cruz is trying to recover from yesterday's tsunami.ozens of people who live on the water are homeless tonight. >>> plus, a look at the damage on the big island of hawaii. several popular resorts are shut down tonight. the news at 5:00 starts right now. >>> good evening. i'm diane dwyer. tonight the biggest concern in japan is potential fallout from a nuclear explosion today. two reactors are damaged and 140,000 people are being evacuated following an explosion and fire at one reactor earlier today. all residents there are now undergoing radiation testing. and tonight at least nine people have been exposed to radiation. also tonight, tens of thousands of people are still missing. and whole towns were wiped off the map. right now, officials say 1,400 people are confirmed dead, but that number is expected to rise dramatically. more than 250,000 people are staying in emergency shelters. 1 million homes have no access to fresh water. and 4 million buildings are still without power. lee has the latest from tokyo. >> reporter: there are two t

morgan hill, rain coming out of the santa cruz mountains. on the peninsula some, not too bad but scattered showers. it will be one of those days, santa rosa to calistoga. the trend is much quieter. i've been doing this a long time. that was an impressive system. 40s for many. we'll have highs in the low to mid-50s. one more system dropping down that will give us rain tomorrow. this will be in the north bay. heavier amounts far less. we'll get rain out of it. 50s, rain on saturday. heavier to the north bay. sunday lingering showers. mostly sunny and dare i say, dare, warmer. >> please dare. >>> we have to make one quick correction. we were talking about "american idol." "american idol" will be back on stage wednesday night at 8 p.m. right here on ktvu. >>> there was chaos caught on tape in santa cruz county. a storm overwhelmed drainage pipe. we're out there watching. >>> too much of the white stuff, whiteout conditions had a major effect. we're live in colfax. >> a woman arrested after causing a lot of damage overnight in berkeley, where the

a lot of people lived on their boats here in santa cruz. and we can see what happened when those surges came onshore. we're going to zoom in here to one of the boats that's been pulled up from the water today. you can see that impact zone. that's what happened when either the -- this boat slammed into another boat or slammed into the dock. it's right above the water line there. you can easily imagine those big surge waves going into the cabin itself causing it to sink. the one by one, boats sunk by the tsunami were fished out of the santa cruz harbor and just as it was when the boats were sinking, crowds gathered to watch. but for some, it was not just a curiosity. >> a little unnerving watching everything come in and watching all my personal belongings floating out of the boat right now. >> reporter: it was also his home and it's a complete loss. >> i didn't think it would be that hard to deal with. but, you know, first, you know, it's amazing and, you know, nature and all power and glory and everything and looking down on it, you know, it

in the santa cruz mountains highway 17 is crowded. beginning to turn a little bit yellow here that means speeds are slowing down a little bit. let's move along and take a look at interstate 880. traffic is moving along okay if you are driving to the downtown oakland area. this mornings commute will be all right in marin county getting to 580. here is steve. >>> thank you, sir. i was building a graphic and i will have it for you next weather head. santa cruz mountains up in lake county as pam mentioned between now and saturday a good 4-5- inches of rain could fall. next week looks much drier. between tuesday night and saturday here we go again with the rain. the systems don't look to be as strong as what we had over the weekend. cloudy, breezy today. scattered showers. tonight the rain comes in as the low gets closer. that will also give us a rather breezy and blustery condition. we will be between systems before the next one arrives. saturday looks good. strong jet stream takes aim at california. tuesday and wednesday rain and wind. t

santa cruz harbor the wave heights were a little bit higher. another update for you tsunami warning cancelled for russia japan mexico and all of central and south america tsunami warning has been cancelled. it has been cancelled for the philippines, guam tonga hawaii just an update from the west coast warning center. >>> and we have much more to bring you on the earthquake and the tsunami in the pacific including how one of bay area's oldest restaurants is helping earthquake victims. >> how japan literally moved the earth itself. >> then later on "nightline". >> coming up on "nightline," the latest devastating images out of japan after one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded. at least one nuclear power plant is threatened at this hour and we'll have the latest on the you can see ♪ ♪ going to the bank without going to the bank... that's a step forward. with chase quickdeposit on your smartphone you just snap a picture, hit send and done. chase quickdeposit. take a step forward and chase what matters. e just keep on keep ♪ we just keep

right now, the santa cruz mountains are getting hammered. not only with the raid but with the strong winds as well. they could serve as 35 mi. per hour. take a look here. this is the strongest rate. it has been one-two hours. right now, rainfall rates are closing in on 1 in. per hour. this rain will spread across the bay area. these see the shape of the clubs? the shows a powerful storm. strong winds as well. of an advisory is in effect. the winds and rain coming together for this evening. a heavy strain will occurred now and 3:00 in the morning. this is not the last in the meantime flooded roads and mudslides. the winds could be 40-50 mi. per hour. they could be as strong as 60 mi. per hour in the mountains. high wind warning. also, a flood watch. it is in effect for santa cruz county. this location will get the heaviest amounts of rain. i like to know what is in the forecast for tomorrow coming up. vicki? >> vicki: thank-you brian. the weather will just get worse. in oakland to the wind knocked over this trait of all the broadway terrace c

and there is a state of emergency having been declared in santa cruz harbor. there is video now just moments ago. and this is how fast that is going. and and several officials were advising the public to evacuate. governor brown declared an emergency for four california counties. the earthquake tsunami brought surging water to san mateo and jant cruz counties. another look at the jant cruz harbor. the surge rip add part docks and damaged boats. abc 7 is there with more. >> this is the north harbor what is considered small craft harbor. this is a location that took the brunt of the tsunami surges. this is what one of the surges looked, and sounded like shortly after noon. one hit in a series of wave action that slammed the yacht hash yosh. >> -- harbor. >> there was an eight foot curl that came down the harbor. it chewed up boats. >> the damage is obvious. one dock is destroyed and the authorities say hundreds of boats are damaged. the first sign of the tsunami reached santa cruz before 8:00 this morning. the ocean hasn't stopped moving. >> i think it would be

you can expect gusts close to 45 miles-per-hour, but it's going to be santa cruz, monterey bay, that's where the strongest winds will be. high-wind warning in effect there with gusts close to 60 miles-per-hour and that begins at 9:00. we'll take a another look at the storm coming up. >> alan: the bay area saw a combination of hail, wind, and high surf. we're in pacifica with more. >> reporter: got some crazy weather. we're here at pacifica near the pier. it started to rain heavily a couple minutes ago. there's a high surf advisefully effect right now until 9:00 tonight. we're expecting waves anywhere from 14 to 17 feet, and people are being warned to stay away from the ocean's edge because they could be washed into the ocean by a rogue wave. now let's look and see what the weather system has done the rest of the bay area today. >> this is pea-sized heal falling in santa cruz this morning. this is the racket it makes hitting the roof and deck there was justify hail for children to play in and build a small mountain. in oakland, heavy rains caused a small slide that closed one lane of pa

and santa cruz mountains not effected by any of the landslide activity. the roads are open and normal getting into the south bay. as we go to the east bay hayward union city that traffic does look okay. 6:07 let's go to steve. >> thank you, sir. >> you are welcome. >> strong jet stream continues to barrel in here. some of the streams if you have been out or anything pretty high levels. it wouldn't take much. ground is saturated. we still have the strong jet stream taking aim at us. there is three or four more systems coming in. between tuesday night and wednesday more rain and wind. a half inch to 2.5 inches of rain. thursday another system rolls in here. we will get a break on friday. another system on saturday. and then sunday looks good. rainfall projections through sunday morning one of the areas that are watchful area russian river up in the lake county. and santa cruz mountains five day rainfall total 4-5 inches. we will ease into this. you will see the rain rates pick up. bolder creek. there is not much going on. it's in advance of this system. a l

why the santa cruz harbor? the way the harbor faces, the way it is set up, the way monterrey is set up, the perfect shape for this tsunami to be pressed up into there. everywhere else it has an opportunity to dissipate. on the beaches it spreads out or moved down the coast. as all this water was funneled in it lifted the boats up perhaps three or four feet. you heard a lot of creeking. not intimidating but as it went out boats started to snap their moorings and it starts bombarding other boats that is where you get your damage. see the debris flowing out there? that is what i watch. there is a current. there it is, see the pier there? >> yeah. >> that water is racing out. there has been a tsunami impulse that is now draining and momentarily or in the next few minutes or go we can watch and the thing should go slack and we may see another impulse and we may see the current going the other way. we are actually seeing this as it is happening. it is unprecedented and unfortunately as i say i am pleased and happy th

this is the scene in the santa cruz mountains. we will have a flash flood watch in effect from midnight through wednesday afternoon. it is evidence we have the green on the screen. the rain falling in throughout the mountain areas of santa cruz. backing through the santa clara valley. eastbound, that's a pocket of moderate rain as it will lift up toward the delta. north bay has been slammed with precipitation. up to half an inch of rain since 4:00 this afternoon. couple up with the rain, the speed of the wind. we will pinpoint the windiest locations for your wednesday. that's still coming up later in this newscast. dana and allen and kit. >>> all right, we are live here in the santa cruz mountains. seeing this rain fall all afternoon and evening and well into the night here. they are hoping that this rain doesn't come all at once. it is spread out over the week because the ground out here is saturated. so nonetheless, we did get to spend time with the people who live out here in the santa cruz mountains. not one to sit around and

ali rasmus is in santa cruz looking at the damage. kraig debro has been monitoring events from japan. radiation leaking after an explosion at a nuclear power station. good morning, crai . >> reporter: a professor says there may have been a partial meltdown at that nuclear power plant. the fukashima plant is just south of sendee, the explosions called on videotape. an explosion blew off the roof and caused a radiation leak. they don't know what the proportions of the leak are. it prompted an evacuation and 12-mile radius around the plant. the government says explosion was caused and a build-up of pressure after the cooling system failed. destroyed the concrete structure but did not collapse the critical steel container inside. 30 minutes ago, i spoke to uc berkeley professor who specializes in nuclear waste management who says a byproduct found outside the reactor suggests a partial meltdown. >> the fact that the -- [not understandable] observed outside means either the fuel pin broken or some kind of meltdown might happened. >> japane

part of the santa cruz harbor reopened to boat water this morning. half of the north harbor and m dock remain closed. more than a dozen boat owners lost their boats. eight boats privately owned have been recovered. every day the harbor is closed it loses an estimated $206,000 in santa cruz economy. still really quite this morning though in south harbor. after the mealing tonight the tsunami ready program of santa cruz will discuss the surge that cause the recent damage. the gathering will take place at the santa cruz police department tonight at 7:00 p.m.. we are live in santa cruz mismorning. we will continue to bring you the latest. as soon as some of the owners start to get back here some of the pieces we will bring you that. reporting live jade hernandez. >>> our time is 6:07. the last big winter storm of the year blew through the bay area this weekend. that left repair crews with a lot of cleaning up on the first day of spring. this is big. this is berkeley. city workers tried to clear a 120-foot pine tree. it crashed down and sent a gas cloud i

santa cruz, that gold and blue being sheared in half. that is from the rowing club which lost all the shells as well as several vessels to train and compete in the ocean. because of the tsunami, u.c. santa cruz open water rowing club is now effectively gone. the power of the ocean put on repeat performances all day. this wave came coming through causing more damage and more anxiety. >> the water, it's so far out there, the boats are almost to the ground and back in. boats are turning over and it's pretty scary. >> reporter: with the sun about to set. harbor crews rushed to corral the last boats to get loose. one had a hunk of dock fochd attached to side. people came out and tried to help. >> watching the carnage happening, all my friends are leaving their boats and they don't know what it is like. >> reporter: more than a hundred boats were damaged. more than 30 to 40 were a total loss. scott was fortunate. >> i watched the surges come in. you don't have any idea the power of the water until you see it in action like this. this is someth

nbc bay area kimberly terry joins us live from santa cruz now. kimberly? >> marla, santa cruz dad is trying to get his daughter back here after that earthquake and tsunami that struck japan which is where she is living right now with her mother. right now john tilmon has been using facebook. pretty much the only way he can communicate with his 10-year-old daughter who moved to tokyo permanently. before that she was splitting her time between mom in japan and dad here. the situation in japan is getting worse. basic supplies like food and water are scarce. >> i want her to get back here. it's hard for me to work and stuff, but i got to get her back here. >> on their first day tilmon pushed his ex-wife out of the way of a drunk driver and he lost his leg. right now the main problem is cost. a plane ticket from tokyo to san jose's airport starts at about $1,000. so, until tilmon can get the money to get his daughter here, he will continue to use facebook to try to connect with her. and also tries to call her a few times during the day, but, of course, the time

mountains and santa cruz proper. today's rain and wind and that's a cold rain around 7 a.m. to noon is the main focus time. half inch to maybe three inches of rain. i've seen 50 in some of the higher elevations. i saw a gust of 57 miles an hour. flood advisories are out. yellow causeway and clear lake. a tremendous amount of water is being released from shasta and kens wick upstream. that's coming down. plus the releases at all the dams. wind advisories are out thursday morning. sacramento and mon they are ray, might -- monterey might update these. some of the higher elevations gusts over 80. temperatures have been going down santa rosa, down san rafael. 47 oakland. it is cold. the system will pump in cold unstable air. rain in the morning. had a report of thunder near novato. warnings from snow from lake county to shasta where heavy snow is being reported. the mother lode into the sierra. snow around 2500 feet. i believe there's 200 inches of snow on the ground pat nor -- at norton. heavy wind turning showers with t

in santa cruz, allie rasmus, ktvu, channel 2 news. >>> the problems in santa cruz harbor had a direct effect on one business owner who could not get to work. ken owns a charter boat and had to cancel three trips scheduled for today. authorities closed the marina this morning, the harbor mouth is blocked and there were still strong surges and currents running through the area. he described what happened yesterday on the water. >> i came in the harbor with my boat right around the time the biggest one of the day came so that was really a poor timing by myself, but we got tied up safely. but kind of a tough day. >> he said south facing harbors like santa cruz were particularly susceptible to tsunami surges from the japan quake. >>> and to the north, in crescent city, the surge destroyed more than 30 boats and turned the harbor into ruins. the waves did not rise to the level of a 20-foot wall built to protect the town itself. david beanik reports. >> reporter: the pooing rain crews rode out in crescent city harbor today to get the first up close look at the damage caused by the tsunami. >

how al qaeda is for in the santa cruz harbor. >> plus. thinking about beauty tips a >> in crescent city recovery crew counted 50 vessels damaged including 15 sunk by the tsunami surge last friday after the japan earthquake. inner harbor is virtually destroyed. local fishing industry devastated by the damage. many of the boats fuel tank are leaking diesel. u.s. coast guard began oil booming operation in the harbor. crew concern that the diesel could impact marine life. >> now to the daniel caused here in the bay area for the tsunami september racing across the pacific by friday quake. millions of dollars in damage done at boat harbor in santa cruz. more now on that from done at boat harbor in santa cruz. more now on that from wayne. p.m. [ no audio] . >> santa cruz harbor had 10 hour warning but no one expected tsunami surge like the one that hit last friday. he and others watched their boat crossing the harbor back and forth. tearing away from dock. careening off of and into each other as energy from the tsunami bounced around the harbor

flash flood continues in the the santa cruz mountains. a -- in the santa cruz mountains. a flash flood warning has been issued for clearlake at lake port up in sacramento county. excepted to go to flood stage today. if not today, then thursday. we have the system moving on through. it's been tense. the weather is decreasing in the north bay. not so bad in the north bay. but we do have towards the east bay, trying to pick up some pretty good rain, especially on 80 back to highway 4 and then over towards 580. but decreasing now. you can see the same for the santa cruz mountains. but on peninsula we're still getting rains. the good news, maybe in another hour we'll be done. lompico up in the santa cruz mountains. 2.75. that's too much rain too soon. there's more on the way. mill valley, 1 inch. sanfrancisco almost .50. oakland's picked up .3. one system will give us shower activity. that next system dropping down looks to be heavier for tomorrow. morning rain, wind gives way to possible showers. a lot of upper 50s. maybe a few very low 60s. five-day any break, steve? yes. su

by late friday afternoon boat after boat floated out of the santa cruz harbor. belonged to this woman. >> the boat was not there. it was just gone. and i just stood there. the whole dock was gone. everything on that whole side was gone. >> reporter: her son lived on the boat for a couple years. >> i watched my whole boat and everything i had on it just get sucked up side down and torn into piece. >> reporter: a state assemblyman toured the destruction on friday evening and jerry brown issued a state of emergency for santa cruz county and a few other counties. >> reporter: now this is how violent the surge was today. you can see, this is a piece of the harbor that came off into the water. it is just sitting here. this is just some of the debris that officials have that -- to remove. now coast guard and fish and game officials have been scouring the water looking for sunken vessels to know how many vehicles and types of machinery they need to pull the sunken vessels out of the water. coast guard officials helped boat owners desperate to save their vessels on frida

should get up to 45 miles per hour in places like santa cruz mountains and everywhere except for the santa clara valleys and north bay valleys. that could push power lines down and strong enough for the trees to start another rockslide. the wind also could cause it today. >> dangerous rip currents from 5:00 to 9:00 tomorrow. highlights, heavy rain, flooding today. one more storm tomorrow night into saturday morning. and another one on sunday but one more strong storm for the rest of us and finally all of us dry and warmer starting monday. one storm pushing through. scattered showers why is you are finding pond ought roadways this morning. here is the next system. now just moving ashore. you can see a lot of the brighter clouds, a lot of moisture with the front which is still a couple of hours moving through through the bay area. we're still building up before the main event gets here. here is friday storm around alaska gaining moisture there. 7:00, you see the stronger rain moving in with the yellows and oranges pushing across the bay by 1:00, 2:00 and then scattered showers for the e

except for santa cruz.n hit pretty hard. >> caller: the latest we have, we assess damage, there are three doctorto docks with major. there are vessels that have had some damage. major to minor damage. we have preliminary estimates, they are as good as to minutes ago of approximately a couple of million dollars in damage. >> mark: is seems like a surprise. we didn't see surges that bad, it seems they came up perfectly. you are one of the hardest-hit areas. >> caller: i wouldn't say surprised. we monitor the situation, we had low cool law- enforcement agencies going out with public works departments trying to blockade the roads going into the harbor and the coastal area. we knew was coming. >> mark: which you say it's in the higher end of you are expecting. >> caller: we didn't know what to expect. we were notified we would get the first wave about 3 ft.. we knew it would hit the harbor area mostmore than the coast. we didn't know what to expect. >> darya: to docks in three vessels. have they broken free and

it's a photo of tree down power lines down old santa cruz highway.were without power for tl awhile there he tells us. another photo from belmont. land slide slited by valerie to you report powered by you tube. they said the lad slide has taken out her fence, back yard, garden partially destroyed because of the soil giving way there. showers tonight and friday. more rain for the weekend. dry milder conditions expected next week. high surf warning goes into effect and it is in effect until 3:00 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. swell and large breaking wave. minor coastal flooding certainly possible with the strong rip current. this is one intense storm as it moved through. behind it we have this trough coming through that is triggering some showers still. 2 more systems to contend with before the week is over. lady late friday into early saturday this system and the one behind it brings us more rain on sunday. upside to all of this neither one of the storms are going to be as intense what is came through today. but now that the ground is saturated we have a