The Big Waves

Coastal weather in the wintertime can be brutal and it has taken a toll on the Lighthouse. As far as we know, tsunamis have not had a significant effect. Although a ten foot tsunami wave can wreak havoc in the Noyo Harbor in Fort Bragg, it does not have much effect on buildings atop a fifty foot coastal bluff.

1928

On Christmas Eve, 1928, there was some significant weather at the Light Station. The fog signal station west end windows were broken from the heavy seas; water went through the Station and out the front door. There were 200 pound rocks on the grounds from the storm.

1960

On February 8 and 9th, 1960, Point Cabrillo was struck by a series of monster waves reportedly engulfing the Lighthouse, ripping siding from the building, upending the fog horn generators and depositing giant boulders and gravel on the bluff and for many yards inland.

Read more about both storms here: Big Storm Story by Bruce Rogerson