Princeton by the Sea Memories

from NOAA click here

April 1, 1946 Eastern Aleutian Is. Tsunami Damage along the Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California coasts

See References for information sources.

Location	Amplitude (m)	Damage Summary
Unga, AK	0.8	Dock and boats washed away.
Ikatan, AK	?	Several homes washed away, Pankof light destroyed.
Sanak, AK	6.1	Boats beached, some houses destroyed.
Scotch Cap, Unimak I., AK	35	Five drowned. Lighthouse destroyed. Antenna 105 feet above sea level washed away. Radio station flooded.
Dutch Harbor, AK	?	Ferrys carried away, docks damaged.
Nikolski, AK	up to 12.2	Nine baraboras washed away
Taholah, WA	1.5	Five foot surge up Quinalt River swamped boats and damaged fishing nets.
Seaside, OR	1.2	Boats and log float swept away in Necanicum River.
Gold Beach, OR	?	Sixty-foot float endangered. Slight damage at Winchuck River.
Noyo River Mouth, CA	1.4	Many boats broke from moorings, several near drownings.
Drakes Bay, CA	2.6	Crab pots rolled over, rowboat capsized.
Princeton, CA	2.6	Much damage. Houses flooded, quarter mile inundation, boats beached, dock damaged, $20K damage.
Santa Cruz, CA	1.5	One drowned. Minor damage.
Port Hueneme, CA	0.8	Sand swept over railroad tracks.
Santa Catalina I., CA	?	Baseball field inundated, pier swept away.

Thank you John Vonderlin for sending this…(email John: [email protected])

From “United States Tsunamis”

1946, April 1, 12:29. A magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Aleutian Islands generated a 30-m tsunami on Unimak Island that destroyed Scotch Cap Lighthouse. In California the tsunami caused a rise above normal tides of, 2.6 m at Half Moon Bay, 2.6 m at Bolinas, 2.4 m at Arena Cove, 1.5 m at Morro Bay, 1.5 m at Santa Cruz, 1.4 m at Noyo, 1.3 m at San Luis Obispo, and 1.2-m rise at Avila.

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports confirm the unusual heights at Santa Cruz, and at Half Moon Bay, California. At Charleston, Oregon, near Coos Bay, 3 meter waves were observed, and 1.8 m. waves were observed at Clatsop Spit, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River. The wave was 1.5 m at Newport and 1.0 m (range) at Siuslaw River. Other localities reported runups of less than 1.0 m.

At Noyo River, California, 100 fishing boats were thrown 1.8 m up bank. At Half Moon Bay where $1,000 in damage occurred waves swept into the unoccupied Coast Guard barracks loosening the building from its foundation. A house was flooded to the window sills. At nearby Princeton huge boulders weighing up to 70 kilograms were washed as far as high highway and some residences were flooded. Water was about 1 m deep on the road. A shack had a wall cave in, and it was moved 0.6 m from its foundation.

Also, at nearby Granada a 10 m boat was washed onto the highway….”

Tuesday, April 2, 1946

From the San Mateo Times:

“Princeton. April 2–Coastside residents today were taking the cycle of total waves in stride. Consensus of opinion was that there was nothing they could do about it, individually or collectively. After reading newspaper accounts and hearing radio reports of what happened in the Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere, local residents took the viewpoint that they were lucky with no lives lost and comparatively small property loss.

“Fearful that a high tide at midnight last night might result in more damage, a number of persons gathered at the Nerli restaurant to keep a midnight watch on the tide. Shortly after midnight, the restaurant closed and all departed.

“Several telephone calls were received at the coast guard station asking if a special watch were being kept and if a warning could be issued. Advised that Twelfth naval district orders had put the coast guard complement on the alert over night the persons, thus assured, apparently went to bed.

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