S. The tsunami arrived in Southern California in the form of a series of tidal surges, the first observed around 9 am March 11th.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS SGX wrote it up.
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Japan on March 10th, sending a tsunami toward the west coast of the U.S. The tsunami arrived in Southern California in the form of a series of tidal surges, the first observed around 9 am March 11th. The main damage was one bait barge in Mission Bay that broke loosed by the strong currents and superficial damage to a few nearby boats as a result. Surge amplitudes of 2 feet at San Diego and 1.7 feet at La Jolla were measured, as well as a maximum difference in water level near 4 feet at San Diego (surge and retreat). The peak surge at San Diego was at 1 am March 12 when a barge was reported to break loose again in Mission Bay. The beaches did have a tsunami warning posted and a lot of people gathered to observed despite the lifeguards warning. Media coverage was extensive with live helicopter footage during the morning of the 11th, and frequent break-ins for live beach coverage from Orange to San Diego Counties.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 11, 2:00 PM PST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 200 PM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 .SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING PAST TO THE NORTH WILL BRING COOLER WEATHER...MORE LOW CLOUDS IN THE COASTAL BASIN AND BRISK WINDS IN THE MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. SLIGHTLY HIGHER PRESSURE IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK FOR A MINOR WARMING TREND. A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL APPROACH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE NEXT WEEK AND BRING COOLER WEATHER AND MORE CLOUDS. && .DISCUSSION...FOR SOUTHWEST CALIFORNIA INCLUDING SAN DIEGO... ORANGE...SOUTHWEST SAN BERNARDINO AND WEST RIVERSIDE COUNTIES. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. STATEMENTS ARE HEADLINED ON OUR WEBPAGE AT WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO. NO WIDESPREAD THREAT OF INDUNDATION IS LIKELY...BUT STRONG CURRENTS AND HIGHER SEA LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TODAY LONG AFTER THE ARRIVAL OF THE INITIAL WAVE THAT CAME BETWEEN 8 AND 9 AM. FOR MORE DETAILS...SEE THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT/TSUNAMI ADVISORY...LAXSPSSGX. FOG CONTINUES TO TOUCH THE COAST...BUT OTHERWISE FAIR WEATHER CONTINUES TODAY. A SERIES OF WEAK SHORTWAVES WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO OUR NORTH THROUGH THE WEEKEND...PREVENTING A RIDGE FROM BUILDING THROUGH MONDAY. IT WILL KEEP OUR WEATHER QUITE SEASONAL WITH A MATURING MARINE LAYER. THIS WILL PRODUCE COASTAL CLOUDS TONIGHT THAT WILL LIFT AND EXPAND INTO THE INLAND VALLEYS. IT WILL BE COOLER ESPECIALLY IN THE COASTAL BASIN AS A RESULT. SOME VARIATION ON THIS THEME WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY...BUT WITH LESS EXTENSIVE COASTAL CLOUDINESS. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY A HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE AMPLIFIES AHEAD OF A DEEPER LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC. THE TROUGH SLOWLY MOVES INTO CALIFORNIA DURING THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK. COOLER WEATHER WITH MORE CLOUDS AND BREEZES IS A REASONABLE EXPECTATION. MAYBE EVEN SOME RAIN TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND...BUT THE MODELS ARE FAR FROM A CONSENSUS ON THE TIMING AND STRENGTH OF THAT TROUGH. && .AVIATION... 112100Z...LOW CLOUDS AND FOG HAVE CLEARED FROM THE COASTAL TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON...BUT CONTINUE TO LINGER OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND AT SOME BEACHES. CLEAR WITH UNRESTRICTED VIS THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE MARINE LAYER IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO ABOUT 2000 FT TONIGHT WITH STRATUS BASES BLO 1000 FT MSL RETURNING TO THE COASTAL AREAS BY 03Z...SPREADING INLAND TO THE VALLEYS AND IMPACTING KONT AROUND 09Z...ACCOMPANIED BY AREAS OF 3-5SM VIS LOCALLY 1SM OR LESS. && .SGX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES. TSUNAMI ADVISORY FOR COASTAL SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...SEE LAXSPSSGX. && PUBLIC...MM AVIATION...PG
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 400 PM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 CAZ042-043-048-050-055-056-057-058-060-061-062-PZZ750-PZZ775-121200- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- SAN BERNARDINO AND RIVERSIDE COUNTY VALLEYS-THE INLAND EMPIRE- SAN DIEGO COUNTY VALLEYS- SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- RIVERSIDE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- SANTA ANA MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS- SAN DIEGO COUNTY MOUNTAINS- APPLE AND LUCERNE VALLEYS- COACHELLA VALLEY-SAN DIEGO COUNTY DESERTS- COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM- WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 400 PM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...REMAINDER OF TODAY AND TONIGHT. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL ORANGE AND SAN DIEGO COUNTIES. SURGING WATER LEVEL COULD MAKE THE BEACHES AND HARBORS HAZARDOUS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT REQUESTED FOR THIS AREA...HOWEVER WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS. ATKIN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 1005 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 CAZ042-043-PZZ750-775-112100- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM- WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 1005 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 ...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS... A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED IN THE FAR WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN NEAR JAPAN AND HAS ARRIVED IN CALIFORNIA. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE LEADING SURGE HAS ARRIVED AND ADDITIONAL CYCLES OR SETS WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY MEANS WAVE HEIGHTS ARE FORECAST TO BE FROM 1 TO 3 FEET. THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES OCCURRED AT: SAN PEDRO HARBOR.......AT 832 AM PST. LA JOLLA...............AT 841 AM PST. SIGNIFICANT TIDE FLUCTUATIONS HAVE BEEN NOTED AT BOTH THE SAN DIEGO AND LA JOLLA TIDE GAUGES SINCE 830 AM. FORECAST TSUNAMI WAVE HEIGHTS THIS MORNING: HUNTINGTON BEACH.......2.3 FEET LAGUNA BEACH...........2.0 FEET LA JOLLA...............2.8 FEET BALLAST POINT..........2.3 FEET SAN DIEGO NAVY PIER....1.2 FEET NORTH IMPERIAL BEACH...2.6 FEET LOW TIDE AT LA JOLLA FRIDAY WAS AT 757 AM PST. ALTHOUGH NO WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS LIKELY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF STRONG CURRENTS AND WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE WATER. THE STRONG CURRENTS WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO SWIMMERS...BOATERS...AND COASTAL STRUCTURES. STRONG CURRENTS IN THE HARBORS AND BAYS WILL CONTINUE FOR 10 TO 12 HOURS HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL. THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AFTER AN 8.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK JAPAN AT 946 PM PST THURSDAY. COASTAL RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER...OFF THE BEACH...AND AWAY FROM HARBORS AND MARINAS. WAVE HEIGHTS AND CURRENTS ARE AMPLIFIED BY IRREGULAR SHORELINE AND ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. LATER WAVES MAY BE LARGER. MARINERS IN WATER DEEPER THAN 600 FEET SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA...NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO FOR UPDATES. MM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 1119 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 CAZ042-043-PZZ750-775-112130- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM- WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 1119 AM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 ...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS... A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED IN THE FAR WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN NEAR JAPAN AND HAS ARRIVED IN CALIFORNIA. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE LEADING SURGE ARRIVED AT AROUND 830 AM AND ADDITIONAL CYCLES OR SETS WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS AFTERNOON. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY MEANS OCEAN SURGES ARE FORECAST TO BE FROM 1 TO 3 FEET. TSUNAMI INDUCED DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN MAY PLACES ALONG THE WEST COAST. CRESCENT CITY CALIFORNIA HARBOR REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. SEVERAL OTHER SITES HAVE REPORTED STRONG CURRENTS WITH BOATS AND BUOYS DAMAGED. THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES OCCURRED EARLIER THIS MORNING AT: SAN PEDRO HARBOR.......AT 832 AM PST. LA JOLLA...............AT 841 AM PST. SIGNIFICANT TIDE FLUCTUATIONS HAVE BEEN NOTED AT BOTH THE SAN DIEGO AND LA JOLLA TIDE GAUGES SINCE 830 AM. ALTHOUGH NO WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS LIKELY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF STRONG CURRENTS AND WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE WATER. THE STRONG CURRENTS WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO SWIMMERS...BOATERS...AND COASTAL STRUCTURES. STRONG CURRENTS IN THE HARBORS AND BAYS WILL CONTINUE FOR 10 TO 12 HOURS HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL. THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AFTER AN 8.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK JAPAN AT 946 PM PST THURSDAY. COASTAL RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER...OFF THE BEACH...AND AWAY FROM HARBORS AND MARINAS. WAVE HEIGHTS AND CURRENTS ARE AMPLIFIED BY IRREGULAR SHORELINE AND ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. LATER WAVES MAY BE LARGER. MARINERS IN WATER DEEPER THAN 600 FEET SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA...NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO FOR UPDATES. MM
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN DIEGO CA 119 PM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 CAZ042-043-PZZ750-775-112330- ORANGE COUNTY COASTAL AREAS-SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS- COASTAL WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER AND OUT 30 NM- WATERS FROM SAN MATEO POINT TO THE MEXICAN BORDER EXTENDING 30 TO 60 NM OUT INCLUDING SAN CLEMENTE ISLAND- 119 PM PST FRI MAR 11 2011 ...A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR ORANGE COUNTY AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY COASTAL AREAS... A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED IN THE FAR WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN NEAR JAPAN AND HAS ARRIVED IN CALIFORNIA. IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THE LEADING SURGE ARRIVED AT AROUND 830 AM AND ADDITIONAL CYCLES OR SETS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON. A TSUNAMI ADVISORY MEANS OCEAN SURGES ARE FORECAST TO BE FROM 1 TO 3 FEET. THE GROUP OF TSUNAMIS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH DURING THE AFTERNOON. TSUNAMI INDUCED DAMAGE HAS BEEN REPORTED IN MAY PLACES ALONG THE WEST COAST. CRESCENT CITY CALIFORNIA HARBOR REPORTED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE. MINOR DAMAGE OCCURRED IN VENTURA HARBOR. SEVERAL OTHER SITES HAVE REPORTED STRONG CURRENTS WITH BOATS AND BUOYS DAMAGED. THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES OCCURRED EARLIER THIS MORNING AT: SAN PEDRO HARBOR.......AT 832 AM PST. LA JOLLA...............AT 841 AM PST. SIGNIFICANT TIDE FLUCTUATIONS HAVE BEEN NOTED AT BOTH THE SAN DIEGO AND LA JOLLA TIDE GAUGES SINCE 830 AM. ONE FLUCTUATION AT SAN DIEGO WAS 1.2 FEET ABOVE THE BASE TIDE LEVEL. ALTHOUGH NO WIDESPREAD INUNDATION IS LIKELY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD OF STRONG CURRENTS AND WAVES DANGEROUS TO PERSONS IN OR NEAR THE WATER. THE STRONG CURRENTS WILL BE HAZARDOUS TO SWIMMERS...BOATERS...AND COASTAL STRUCTURES. STRONG CURRENTS IN THE HARBORS AND BAYS WILL CONTINUE FOR 10 TO 12 HOURS HOURS AFTER THE INITIAL WAVE ARRIVAL. THE TSUNAMI ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AFTER AN 8.9 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE STRUCK JAPAN AT 946 PM PST THURSDAY. COASTAL RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF THE WATER...OFF THE BEACH...AND AWAY FROM HARBORS AND MARINAS. WAVE HEIGHTS AND CURRENTS ARE AMPLIFIED BY IRREGULAR SHORELINE AND ARE DIFFICULT TO PREDICT. THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE LARGEST. LATER WAVES MAY BE LARGER. MARINERS IN WATER DEEPER THAN 600 FEET SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. STAY TUNED TO LOCAL MEDIA...NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/SANDIEGO FOR UPDATES. MM
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 tsunami. Local standard time, as filed.
Mission Bay saw the first tsunami surge around 0915 PST and continued to experience surges every 1.5 to 2 hours. These surges broke apart a bait barge and sent 8 of its 26 bait boxes into the bay where they were lost.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2011
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: 292183.