See powerful waves surge from ocean into parking lot, restaurant patio near Santa Cruz CA

Video on Thursday captured surf overrunning a beach in Aptos, California, near Santa Cruz, and sweeping into a parking lot and a restaurant’s patio.

Santa Cruz County issued warnings for people in several coastal areas to be ready to evacuate.

In a post to X, formerly Twitter, Santa Cruz County said:

“Coastal flooding is impacting coastal neighborhoods. Please be prepared should an evacuation warning or order be necessary. AVOID THE COAST.”

Officials urged people to stay off rocks and jetties, to be aware of the danger of sneaker waves, those occasional, large waves that can run far inland and sweep a person away.

A camera located at popular Aptos restaurant Venus Pie Trap showed the ocean waves flooding onto its patio seating area, moving tables and outside heaters. The ocean had to rush up the beach, gush over a walkway and rolls across a large parking lot in order to flood the business.

The storm surge hit Hawaii, too, with the National Weather Service saying surf is rising to 30 to 40 feet along north-facing shores, and 18 to 22 feet along west-facing shores, on five islands.