A underwater volcano erupted near the island of Tonga, generating a tsunami. In Ventura Harbor, some damage was reported with part of a dock broken off and a Harbor Patrol boat capsized.
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 LOX wrote it up.
A underwater volcano erupted near the island of Tonga, generating a tsunami. In Ventura Harbor, some damage was reported with part of a dock broken off and a Harbor Patrol boat capsized.
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 Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 1, 4:46 AM PST, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
446 AM PST Sat Jan 1 2022
Updated Aviation and Marine Discussions
.SYNOPSIS...31/121 PM.
Dry weather expected the next several days and possibly through
the middle of January. Breezy north to northeast winds expected
this weekend under clear skies. High temperatures will warm
slightly but remain several degrees below normal.
&&
.SHORT TERM (TDY-MON)...01/323 AM.
Current offshore gradients are 4.5 mb from the north and .5 from
the east. The north gradients will relax and the ones from the
east will increase as the sfc high shifts to the east. The
advisory level north winds will then transition to the northeast.
There will likely be a little wind minimum during the transition.
The advisory level NE winds will be confined to the mtn and vly
areas as there is not enough oomph to bring the stronger winds
down to the coast. There is a weak 4000 ft marine layer across
srn LA county and this has allowed some stratus to develop esp in
the San Gabriel Vly. The capping inversion is weak and these
clouds will not last very long into the morning. The north flow is
piling up the clouds across in the area adjacent to the southwest
corner of Kern county this clouds will linger into the afternoon.
Otherwise it will be a sunny day. Despite the warming created by
the offshore flow most areas will cool day as colder air is
adverted into the area from the interior. Max temps across the
coasts and vlys will only be in the mid 50s to lower 60s or 5 to
10 degrees blo normal.
Not much excitement on tap for Sunday. The offshore flow will
actually be stronger, but since there will be much less upper
support the morning winds will not reach advisory levels. At the
upper levels a weak 572 dam ridge will be over the state. There
will be no cold air moving in from the interior and the rising
hgts and continued offshore flow will allow the entire are to warm
2 to 4 degrees. Despite the warming all max temps will come in 4
to 8 degrees blo normal.
On Monday the ridge will be pushed off to the east by an upper low
approaching the Pac NW. Hgts will not change much but the offshore
winds will switch onshore. Skies will be clear. Max temps will
fall across the coasts due the switch from offshore to onshore
flow. The slightly warmer airmass will allow the interior to warm.
.LONG TERM (TUE-FRI)...01/337 AM.
Strong NW flow sets up over the state on Tuesday. There will be
enough embedded upper level clouds in the flow to create partly
cloudy skies. At the sfc there will be an increase in onshore
which will likely lead to a marine layer stratus deck for the most
of the coastal sections. Despite the marine layer rising hgts
should bring several degrees of warming to almost all areas. Max
temps will still be below normal but only by 2 to 5 degrees.
Offshore flow develops Wed and Thu as a ridge builds into the
state from the west. If the current gradient forceast of 3 to 6
mb of offshore flow comes to pass there will be some low end
advisory gusts each morning. The increase in hgts and offshore
flow will combine to bring warming to the area both days. By
Thursday there will actually be a few highs in the lower 70s and
the interior sections will have above normal temps for the first
time in a while.
EC and GFS (as well as their ensembles) are in better agreement
for the Friday forecast. PRetty good confidence that a weak trof
will slide across the nrn half of the state and push the ridge to
the east. Rain should stay away from the area but there is a non
zero chc that SLO county could see some showers. The trof will
bring in enough clouds to make it a mostly cloudy day. Falling
hgts, increased cloudiness and a return to onshore flow will all
combine to lower max temps 3 to 6 degrees.
&&
.AVIATION...01/1234Z.
At 10Z at KLAX, there was a weak marine layer that was 4200 ft
deep. The top of the inversion was at 5500 with a temp of 6 C.
High confidence in most 12Z TAFs. For KLAX, KSMO, and KLGB, brief
MVFR cigs are possible thru 16Z. For KCMA and KOXR, high
confidence in cig/vis, moderate confidence in winds. There is a
20% chance that KCMA and KOXR stay easterly and don't fall below 5
kts. Wind transitions for all TAFs may be off by +/- 2 hours.
KLAX...High confidence in TAF. Brief bkn015-025 cigs are possible
thru 16Z. Any east wind component will be less than 6 kt.
KBUR...High confidence in TAF.
&&
.MARINE...01/444 AM.
For the Outer Waters, moderate to high confidence in current
forecast. Both seas and winds are at Small Craft Advisory (SCA)
levels, with the waters south of Santa Cruz Island to San Nicolas
Island having local gale gusts. SCA Conditions are likely to
diminish by mid morning. Then high confidence in winds and seas
remaining below SCA levels through Monday. For Tuesday and
Wednesday, there is a 50-70% chance of SCA level winds and seas.
For the Inner Waters north of Point Sal, moderate to high
confidence in current forecast. High confidence in winds and seas
remaining below SCA levels today through Monday. For Tuesday and
Wednesday, there is a 30-40% chance of SCA level winds during the
afternoon and evening hours.
For the Inner Waters south of Point Conception, moderate
confidence in current forecast. For today and Sunday, there is a
40-50% chance of SCA level northeast winds near shore from
Ventura south to Santa Monica with a 20% chance of SCA level winds
reaching Avalon. For Monday through Wednesday, winds and seas are
generally expected to remain below SCA levels although there is a
40% chance of SCA level winds across the western half of the
Santa Barbara Channel Tuesday afternoon and evening.
This morning through Tuesday, large high tides (7.0 to 7.5 feet)
will form each morning with very low tides (-1.0 to -1.5 feet)
each afternoon. Saturday through Monday will be the peak. Expect
strong surges near harbor entrances, and minor tidal overflow on
harbor and beach walkways.
&&
.BEACHES...01/355 AM.
Abnormally high astronomical tides between 7.0 and 7.5 feet will
bring the possibility of minor tidal overflow at susceptible areas
along the southwestern CA coast starting Saturday morning, and
continue during the morning high tides into Monday. Pooling of sea
water is likely around high tide at beach and harbor areas that
is uncommon with normal tidal ranges. Enhanced beach erosion is
also possible. No significant damage is expected. As a result, a
Beach Hazard Statement is in effect for the coastal areas through
Monday morning.
&&
.LOX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
CA...Beach Hazards Statement in effect through Monday morning for
zones 34-35-39>41. (See LAXCFWLOX).
Wind Advisory in effect until 2 PM PST this afternoon for
zones 53-54-88. (See LAXNPWLOX).
PZ...Small Craft Advisory in effect until 9 AM PST this morning
for zones 670-673-676. (See LAXMWWLOX).
&&
.HAZARD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (MON-FRI).
No significant hazards expected.
&&
PUBLIC...Rorke
AVIATION...Lund/Rorke
MARINE...RAT/Lund
BEACHES...Sirard
SYNOPSIS...MW
weather.gov/losangeles1 tsunami. Local standard time, as filed.
A powerful tsunami, from a volcanic eruption near Tonga, produced some damage in Ventura Harbor. A 100 foot section of a dock was broken off with a 75 foot yacht attached to the dock. Additionally, a Harbor Patrol boat was capsized.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2022
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: 1007650.