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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2018
Photos by Brenna Visser/The Daily Astorian
LEFT: Photographer and City Councilor George Vetter gets a shot of a wave cresting near Mo’s Restaurant in Tolovana. RIGHT: Extreme high tides Thursday crash
into the stairs at Tolovana State Park.
STORM WAVES POUND COAST
The Daily Astorian
The North Coast is used to crazy weather, but Thursday’s offering was especially
impressive. There was tidal flooding in Nehalem and huge waves surged onto the road
on the south end of Seaside. In Cannon Beach, foamy surf pushed right up to the Second
Street barrier while people leaned over the railing above to watch. Thunder and lighten-
ing made an appearance and a hail storm swept up the coast. Every once in a while the
sky would dump buckets of rain, which would stop just long enough for people to feel
confident about walking outside before it all started up again. A coastal flood warning
was in effect for the area through Friday afternoon and the National Weather Service said
offshore buoys recorded ocean swell heights of up to 36 feet Thursday morning. By the
afternoon, wave heights were still near 30 feet and remained high through the evening.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
The South Jetty at Fort Stevens State Park is pounded with waves during a storm as people watch the phenomenon from an observation tower in the background.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
The observation tower at the South Jetty in Fort
Stevens State Park was a popular place to watch
the storm Thursday.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Sea foam clings to rocks after being flung over the South Jetty during a storm Thursday.
Sea foam clings to grass after being blown over
the South Jetty by high winds.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Mick and Karen French of Cannon Beach watch as a storm moves in at the South Jetty at Fort Stevens State Park.