�y��vlog

As a series of winter storms slammed California’s coast with powerful rip currents and towering waves, part of the Santa Cruz Wharf collapsed on Monday, plunging two contractors and a city employee into the water.

Santa Cruz officials had issued a warning to residents, telling them to expect hazardous conditions on the beaches, including strong rip currents and powerful waves that could “pull even the strongest swimmers out to sea.”

“With surf like that, we’re expecting very dangerous rip currents and kind of almost advising people to stay out of the water,” Lewis said.

Flooding from torrential rain and storm surges along with rip currents and marine accidents account for nearly 90% of those killed in hurricanes.

But he said it was a "change in frequency of the waves plus the north-easterly wind which contributed to a rip current being quite so intense".