West Coast ports begin to pick up the pieces in the aftermath of a tsunami that struck some harbors with an 8-foot surge following an 8.9 earthquake near Japan on Friday, March 11.
The port of Crescent City, Calif., reports an estimated 35 boats sitting on the harbor floor. In Oregon’s Brookings Harbor, the only public hoist was destroyed and was falling into the bay. Locals also were concerned about silt filling navigational channels in front of off-loading docks.
“What we suffered here was major,” says Brookings’ Harbor Manager Ted Fitzgerald in a meeting with port commissioners, emergency officials and U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio.
