SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Tsunami waves and the California coast are not something you hear about often in our local forecast.
San Diegans had different reactions as the information came down. Some businesses prepared for the unknown while others went to the ocean, hoping to catch a wave.
Lily Richie is taking orders, getting food to tables and making sure drinks are filled to the brim.
It’s a typical Wednesday at Wonderland, but Tuesday night, things by the shoreline got a bit uneasy.
“So we had a pretty good crowd in here last night,” said Richie, who’s the manager at Wonderland. “It was just before sunset when that watch was issued. And when it was, we actually had a few tables that canceled their food and got up and left because they were worried.”
While some people took the news and moved away from the water, others, like Gemma Toscano and Chris Murillo, waited out the initial surge and then went out surfing.
“When we heard the warning, I'm like, 'Hey, there's a tsunami coming,'” said Murillo, who’s out surfing for the first time. “And she's like, 'Let's go, let's go.' So we're out here surfing, you know? Enjoying it.”
Enjoying the waves and the chance to say they surfed a tsunami after the potential for danger crashed to shore.
“But honestly, it seems like just a typical day,” said Toscano. “I really feel like it did not affect at all San Diego. But that's just my opinion. I don't know if it did in another way.”
The first tsunami waves have reached La Jolla shores as of 1:45 AM, registering around 0.36 feet. For areas upstream, the first waves haven't been the biggest with arrival of additional waves for 6 or more hours after the initial wave. pic.twitter.com/8LeChjCFyt
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) July 30, 2025
Lifeguards tell ABC 10News that Tuesday night, a small watch party of about 30 people showed up after a tsunami warning was issued for the west coast.
“You'd be surprised; there's people out there wanting to watch the whole event, so they come up to the truck, 'Hey, what time is it coming? We want to see it.' We're trying to give them warnings, 'Hey, be careful.' You never know what's going to happen till it comes in,” said Rick Romero, the lifeguard lieutenant for San Diego Fire Rescue.
He had to round up his lifeguards and warn people in low-lying areas, like the beach, of the tsunami.
Romero knows a thing or two about warning people about possible emergencies.
“We'll do announcements, public address systems we have on the beach, vehicle patrols, and personal patrols,” said Romero.
The rare event gives people something to talk about and others the chance to test their plans in case of a real emergency.
“Obviously, we're right here on the coast and we are western facing,” said Richie. “So we are in that danger zone. I just hope that everyone knows that we will communicate any information that is being put out and that we will make sure that we will do everything we can to keep our guests safe and comfortable and having a great time.”
