Staff report
The usually placid waters of Avalon Harbor looked more like an ocean boardwalk as a tropical storm, commonly referred to a Nor’easter, slammed into the island, sending some boats into the shore.
According to the National Weather Service, they had warned of dangerous winds and waves inside the east-facing harbors, including Avalon Harbor, Two Harbors, Scorpion Landing and Landing Cove. Winds near 30 knots and steep waves near five feet had been forecast and indeed, were seen on the island. The surge of water crashing into the island was so high, at times, that it towered over nearby structures as the high winds hurled themselves into the bays and eventually came crashing into the rocks. Those same winds, combined with dangerously low humidity, were also driving a wildfire that raced across terrain in Orange County’s Santiago Canyon area Monday morning, officials said.
There were some property damages, but no injuries reported.
