Crescent City Still Rebuilding After Devastating Tsunami
CRESCENT CITY (KCBS) – The Northern California town of Crescent City is still trying to rebuild a year after a deadly earthquake hit Japan, causing a devastating tsunami to eventually hit the California coastal town.
Eight-foot waves crashed into the Crescent City shoreline near the Oregon border. Geologists estimate that in the last 80 years, Crescent City has been hit by more than 30 tsunamis.
Mayor Pro Tem Richard Enea said the city took a beating.
"We had a lot of debris that washed up on shore from the broken docks and cement pylons. And that was all cleaned up through the FEMA grant, about $500,000 worth of damage," he said. "That's small compared to the harbor which suffered $40 million of damage. So Crescent City is cleaned up."
KCBS' Dave Padilla Reports:
In 1964, a devastating tsunami struck Crescent City, killing 11 people and destroying the harbor. And in 2006, a tsunami caused $10 million in damage to the harbor.
Enea said that the frequency of tsunamis in the area has prepared residents for anything.
"We practice tsunami evacuations and alerts several times a year," he said. "We're the most ready city in the state as well as the United States for an evacuation. We take it in stride."
Crescent City is primarily a fishing town and Enea said many of the fishermen who lost their boats and their jobs found work in helping repair the city.
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