In pictures: Massive waves hit the coast of California

It might look like a surfer’s dream come true, but for some residents in California, massive waves have turned their holiday season into a nightmare.

The New York Times reported that waves as high as 30 feet (almost 10 meters) across the coast of the golden state on December 28 and 29 forced beaches to close and caused big headaches for the locals.

Local authorities have raised the alarm about the weather conditions, claiming that it could cause floods and damage to piers and jetties along the coast.

“Stay away from rocks, jetties, piers, and other waterside infrastructure,” the National Weather Service warned. “Never turn your back to the ocean!”

In Ventura County, located northwest of Los Angeles, CNN reported that nearly 20 people were briefly swept away by the water, with eight ending up in the hospital.

Forbes highlighted that certain areas of Marin County, north of San Francisco, have been evacuated.

Marin County isn’t alone. Santa Cruz County, south of San Francisco, also issued an order to evacuate certain areas. All the coast of California is at risk.

“These are not the highest wave heights we’ve seen, but they’re certainly on the larger side,” National Weather Service meteorologist Alexis Clouser told The Washington Post.

“They are deadly due to their size and the potential run-up — our biggest concern is people getting too close to the water and potentially getting swept in”, the meteorologist added.

However, not everyone is concerned. According to Reuters, surfers and spectators have flocked to the area to see the enormous waves crashing against the coast.

Many surf enthusiasts have gathered in Mavericks Beach, south of San Francisco, trying to catch the big waves.

Mavericks Beach is a famous destination for big wave surfers all over the world, due to massive wave breaks caused by an underwater rock formation.

Image: beadisruptur / Unsplash

Despite the current weather conditions, CNN reported that surfers coming as far from Brazil were out in the water in Mavericks Beach.

Image: cristina_glebova / Unsplash

CNN interviewed Miguel Blanco, a surfer enthusiast who travelled from Portugal to Mavericks Beach to ride the big waves.

Image: valechat / Unsplash

“The waves looked absolutely massive, and it was everything that we expected,” surfer Miguel Blanco told CNN, claiming that he estimated that the waves reached as high as 40 to 60 feet, or in other words, from 12 to 18 meters.

However, the National Weather Service would like to remind the people that “deadly conditions can easily overpower the strongest swimmers.”