Capitola Village closed, beachfront evacuated during high surf warning

CAPITOLA, Calif. - North of Sunset State Beach in Capitola, part of the Village shopping center was closed down Monday as a precaution and other low-lying areas were also evacuated. 

"All of those restaurants have been evacuated before and people have spent a lot of money keeping those restaurants open. So, hopefully they don’t flood but I know they’ve evacuated them all," said Capitola resident Devon Lincoln. 

After the National Weather Service issued a high surf warning on Monday, Capitola police closed down part of the Village closest to the water, including restaurants, stores and hotels. 

They also advised that residents and visitors stay away from Esplanade Park, the wharf and Capitola beaches. 

Resident Nikko Garner says he often surfs there but will stay away for now. 

"There could be debris. You don’t know if there’s stuff from the wharf still trying to come down here. So I wouldn’t do it," said Garner. 

Just south of Capitola, California State Parks also says they responded to a call around 11:30 a.m.. A Santa Cruz County man had been trapped under debris in Watsonville due to the high surf. Bystanders freed him, but he later died at the hospital and his identity has not been released. 

As nightfall approached, Capitola police evacuated the Venetian Hotel on Wharf Road. 

Guest Dee Dee Vargas said she was in town for her mother’s funeral and had already decorated her room to bring in the Christmas spirit. 

"It’s Christmas and I know what that means. I know it’s all going to be OK," said Vargas. 

Then she was told she’d have to evacuate and find some place else to stay. 

"I was told at first that it was just going to be temporary, and now I’m told I got to go find another place to stay tonight and who knows how long," said Vargas. 

The high surf warning is scheduled to last until Tuesday at noon and closures and evacuations are expected to remain in place until the warning is lifted.