Eight people were hospitalized when a rogue wave crashed ashore in Ventura Thursday morning during a day of high surf on the Southern California coast.
The powerful wave slammed onto the beach at the end of Seward Avenue at high tide. Video showed people running from the shoreline as the water partially submerged a pickup on the beach.
Colin Hoag was on a morning run at the beach when he saw the frightening scene unfold as the wave rolled toward the shore.
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“My first thought was, get out of the way of this,” Hoag said. “This is Mother Nature. You can’t stop her. She’ll plow through anything.
“It was horrific. Everybody was screaming. It was like a horror movie.”
High surf and coastal flood warnings were in effect Thursday for Ventura County beaches. Beaches throughout the county and the Ventura Pier were closed due to dangerous surf conditions.
“For your safety, please avoid the area near the ocean, as it can be quite dangerous,” the Ventura County Fire Department said in a post on X.
The swell caused flooding on streets in the seaside neighborhood. The force of the wave broke first-floor windows and flooded rooms at a hotel.
The eight people who were hospitalized suffered minor injuries.
Waves reached closed to 20 feet in some locations. Waves 10- to 15-feet high with local sets up to 20 feet are possible into the weekend.
