What makes coastal California's Crescent City so vulnerable to tsunamis?
Crescent City, a redwood-tree lined coastal California community, is known as the tsunami capital of the country.
The city has experienced more than three-dozen tsunamis in the last century.
Once again, tsunami waves ‒ luckily modest this time ‒ reached the town, peaking as high as 4 feet near city shores before dawn on July 30, according to the National Weather Service. The waves came just hours after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest tremblors in recorded history, struck off Russia's east coast, prompting tsunami waves in Hawaii and along the West Coast.
"It was a long night for all of us. We were fortunate this time," Crescent City Manager Eric Weir said during a morning briefing on July 30. "There was significant tsunami surges. We're still dealing with those now, but it did stay within the banks."
The July 29 tsunami warning was initially expected to last as long as 30 hours in Crescent City, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Weir said the waves caused significant damage to a harbor dock as it lifted decking off the pilings, but the rest of the city was spared.
"Downtown is at a high enough elevation that it is open," Weir said, about an hour before the tsunami warning was downgraded to an "advisory" for Crescent City, one of the last West Coast communities considered still at risk.
City officials still advised locals to stay away from the harbor, beaches and waterways due to continued wave activity.
"Conditions have started to improve," city officials said in a Facebook post. "But the ocean is still angry."
Coastal calm: Tsunami evacuation orders lifted in Hawaii, threat to West Coast eases
Crescent City's deadly tsunami history
What makes Crescent City, a town of about 6,700 residents located about 25 miles south of the Oregon border, so tsunami-prone?
Crescent City is vulnerable because it is located near the southern end of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a major fault line capable of producing dangerous tsunamis and intense earthquakes, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Several published studies also indicate that a Cascadia Subduction Zone tsunami can cause severe damage and inland flooding.
In 2011, the earthquake in Japan spurred waves of more than 8 feet, destroying Crescent City's harbor.
"The water went out to a low tide, but each wave was coming back in and it was getting higher and higher," Max Blair, 79, a volunteer at the Del Norte Historical Society located near downtown Crescent City, recalled to USA TODAY on July 30. "The harbor was a whole different story."
One man died during the incident as the harbor docks were smashed and dozens of boats sank, causing an estimated $50 million in damage. The harbor was eventually rebuilt as the first "tsunami resistant port" on the West Coast.
Another deadly tsunami struck Crescent City in 1964, triggered by a massive earthquake in Alaska, killing 11 people and injuring 35 others. The tsunami destroyed nearly 300 buildings and homes, causing between $11 million and $16 million in damages. The incident is considered one of the most devastating tsunamis in U.S. history.
"I've heard and read about it," said Blair who's lived in Crescent City for more than 30 years. "I hope we never get to experience anything like that one."
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