A high-surf warning is in effect Friday into Saturday, and all Santa Cruz County beaches will be closed because of "potentially life-threatening" surf.
The warning is in effect until 3 a.m. Saturday for dangerously large breaking waves of 20-30 feet and up to 45 feet for the highest waves on west facing beaches, according to the National Weather Service. Non-west-facing beaches will see breaking waves of 15-20 feet on average and up to 30 feet at times.
At Capitola Village, businesses were bracing for impact, with some of the iconic buildings boarded up in anticipation of waves up to 30 feet high while others loaded up with sand bags.
Public works crews have been building sand berms to keep as much surf out of the village as possible.
Businesses were bracing for an economic impact too.
"It is a busy weekend," said Nathan Platt of Margaritaville. "We've got Presidents Day coming up, and we've got Valentine's Day this Friday. We've got a lot of customers who want food and got reservations for it. But if the weather doesn’t clear up … we need our patio. It's not going to be available."
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County authorities are calling the conditions "potentially life-threatening" and will have extra patrols to make sure people stay back from the water.
The weather service says breaking waves can sweep people off jetties and docks and into dangerous seas. Life-threatening swimming conditions and significant beach erosion can be expected.
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