High Surf, Ventura County Coast
- When
- February 1, 2:00 AM PST to February 9, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Ventura County Coast forecast zone
High Surf in California, February 1 to 9, 1998
An extended heavy surf event, produced by a series of Pacific storms, battered coastal areas of Central and Southern California. Along the coasts of San Luis Obispo and Western Santa Barbara counties, waves as high as 25 feet were reported.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LOX wrote it up.
An extended heavy surf event, produced by a series of Pacific storms, battered coastal areas of Central and Southern California. Along the coasts of San Luis Obispo and Western Santa Barbara counties, waves as high as 25 feet were reported. Elsewhere, coastal areas reported 12 to 15 foot waves. The heavy surf produced some damage across coastal areas. In Port San Luis, widespread shoreline erosion was reported. At Santa Barbara Harbour, Stearns Wharf lost 150 wooden planks. The Port Hueneme Pier had 200 feet of pier washed away. In Zuma Beach, the surf collapsed a house into the ocean.
Event by event
5 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.
High Surf, Santa Barbara County Central Coast
- When
- February 1, 2:00 AM PST to February 9, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County Central Coast forecast zone
High Surf, Santa Barbara County South Coast
- When
- February 1, 2:00 AM PST to February 9, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Santa Barbara County South Coast forecast zone
High Surf, Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles
- When
- February 1, 2:00 AM PST to February 9, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- Los Angeles County Coasts Including Downtown Los Angeles forecast zone
High Surf, San Luis Obispo County Central Coast
- When
- February 1, 2:00 AM PST to February 9, 10:00 AM PST
- Where
- San Luis Obispo County Central Coast forecast zone
What these are
- High Surf
- Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Rain in California, February 1 to 25, 1998
- Drought in Hawaii, February 1 to 28, 1998
- Tornadoes and Flash Flooding in Texas, February 1 to 26, 1998
- Wildfire and Drought in Guam, February 1 to 28, 1998
- Heat in Kentucky, February 1 to 28, 1998
- Hail in Texas, February 1, 1998
- Heat in Illinois, February 1 to 28, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, February 1, 1998
- High Surf in California, February 1 to 26, 1998
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, February 1, 1998
- Heat in Missouri, February 1 to 28, 1998
- Heat in Indiana, February 1 to 28, 1998
More
Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5630015, 5630016, 5630017, 5630018, 5630019.