N. Shore braces for waves
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By Suzanne Roig and Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writers
SUNSET BEACH — North Shore residents, familiar with the sea's destructive power, warily awaited waves today expected to tower as high as 50 feet.
Joe Green plans to be at his surf shop before dawn with his rake, broom and mop, just in case the big waves hit Hale'iwa.
His shop, Surf N Sea, has a front-row seat to the high surf. How it rolls in today will determine how much muscle Green and his employees will have to use to keep the store dry.
Down the road, Sunset Beach resident Liam McNamara and his friends are watching for the surf.
He said many of the houses along the wide sandy beach between Rocky Point and Sunset were damaged in January 1998, when similar high surf smashed into homes, undermining their foundations and knocking down retaining walls. Sand bags and a temporary wooden fence remind visitors of the power of the ocean at a home along the beach.
"Last time we had footings exposed and the beach washed away," McNamara said. "The bushes will all be dead and the vegetation will die because of all the salt water floating in the air."
Kaua'i got a preview yesterday of this year's high surf season. The county's Ocean Safety Bureau closed all North Shore beaches to swimming yesterday, and suspended camping at beachparks at Black Pot and Ha'ena due to possible flooding.
Lifeguards said Kaua'i waves were in the 20- to 30-foot range with predictions of 30- to 50-foot surf overnight. Kaua'i's Ocean Safety Bureau said the surf was expected to be lower there today, but recommended beachgoers check with lifeguards before entering the ocean.
On O'ahu, April Teixeira, the manager of Ted's Bakery in Sunset Beach, said she planned to stay in her Sunset Point home and see what happens.
"I'm not the type to make elaborate preparations," Teixeira said. "But when it's high, I don't go near the surf."
The National Weather Service yesterday forecasted wave faces 35- to 50-foot high by sunrise today. The weather service issued a high-surf warning for north- and west-facing shores through tonight.
"Generally when we have surf of this height, it comes over the wall by the bus stop," Green said. "We'll have to make sure the drain stays clear. It could come into the store."
Waves that large, however, will be more than enough for organizers to send surfers into Waimea Bay for the 20th Anniversary Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, said contest spokeswoman Jodi Young. The first heats should begin at 8 a.m. today, she said.
Only elite surfers are invited and in 19 years, the surf has only been large enough for the contest to be held six times. Waves have to be at least 20 feet under the traditional, Hawaiian-style measurement, which is roughly half to two-thirds as large as the wave-face scale used by the weather service. The contest organizers are expecting Hawaiian-scale waves of 25 feet, Young said.
"We are good to go," Young said yesterday. "Everybody is pretty excited."
Well, everybody except the city's North Shore lifeguards, who expect some of the largest crowds of the young winter surf season.
"We're just concerned that there will be a lot of people out on the North Shore and it impacts our ability to provide emergency services," said city lifeguard Lt. John Hoogsteden.
Drivers stuck in traffic tend to get frustrated, park on the side of the road and walk too close to the water's edge, he said.
"They are standing where they think it is calm and then a big wave comes along and smashes them," he said.
Often, they are dragged over rocks and badly cut, Hoogsteden said.
"Be smart and stay a safe distance away from the ocean," he said. "And don't expect to go surfing."
All of the O'ahu Civil Defense volunteers along the North Shore have been put on alert. They haven't had to deal with surf this large since January 2003.
O'ahu's Civil Defense Agency warned that a predicted high surf and an unusually high tide today could combine to increase the chances of damage to homes, businesses and roads. The agency issued these cautions: • People in North Shore or Leeward Coast beach areas should be ready to evacuate immediately if ordered or if they feel they are in danger. • If an evacuation is ordered, shelter locations will be broadcast on television and radio. • If high surf threatens your safety or your property, call 911 immediately. Source: O'ahu Civil Defense Agency
"We are working closely with the police and ocean safety," said Peter Hirai, plans and operations manage for the agency. "We have been notifying as many people as we can on the North Shore, just warning them to be prepared."
High surf warnings
Overnight spot checks will be made of areas where waves have washed over the highway during previous high-surf episodes, he said.
"Especially with it this high, they will be diligent in checking it," Hirai said.
The civil defense agency urged people to avoid the surf and stay out of the water. Residents should also be ready to evacuate their homes, the agency warned. It also wants motorists to drive with caution because highways can become clogged with sand or debris.
Jamie Ward, another resident near Rocky Point, wasn't planning on removing the barbecue off his lanai even though it is right over the beach.
"It's pretty simple to clean up," Ward said. "If it gets that big, it might go as high as underneath the house."
Advertiser Staff Writer Jan Tenbruggencate contributed to this report. Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com or 395-8831. Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8012.
