Crescent City, California

Del Norte County

06-17022

Crescent City ( Crescent Moon City) is a small town in Northern California and the county seat of Del Norte County. The place is right on the Pacific Ocean. The city had in the census in 2010 about 7,643 inhabitants and 3,000 inmates of Pelican Bay State Prison were not counted. The city was founded in 1851 by gold prospectors.

The border with the state of Oregon is located 30 kilometers to the north. U.S. Highway 101 leads on its way from Olympia in Washington state to the Mexican border right through the city.

Special Events

On July 30, 1865, passenger steamer Brother Jonathan about four miles ran in front of Crescent City on a hitherto uncharted underwater rocks and sank within a short time. Only 19 of the 244 people on board were saved. The 225 fatalities presented the hitherto most severe Shipwreck on the American Pacific coast Represents the gold on board broke in the wake of numerous attempted salvage.

Tsunamis

Due to various factors is the bay on which the city is located, the most vulnerable to tidal waves across the United States. The so-called Mendocino fracture zone ( Mendocino Fracture Zone ), a submarine ridge, directs the tsunami in the bay. And the shape of the bay focused waves like a lens, so that tsunamis pile up, while all the neighboring beach remains quiet. In the past this was already very frequently as the following cases represent:

• On March 28, 1964, the largest tsunami taught in the history of the Continental United States as a result of the Good Friday earthquake of huge damage in Crescent City. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake off the coast of Alaska; thereby eleven people lost their lives.

• On 15 November 2006 a smaller tsunami wave caused major property damage to the port facilities. The tsunami was triggered by an earthquake in the Pacific.

• When Tōhoku earthquake of 2011, the wave height in Crescent City with 2 to 2.5 meters was particularly high. Many boats sank and all the docks were destroyed.

Tourism

The lighthouse at Crescent City can only be reached at low tide via a footpath. The Redwood National Park, known for coastal redwoods and the tallest trees in the world begins immediately south and southeast of the city, the visitor center of the park and museum located in the city center. Another unusual feature is the large number of seals and sea elephants, who are in the harbor, and which can be heard from afar.