Santa Monica Pier and beach was closed to guests Friday morning as a safety precaution. (Matt Schrader)
Jim Amormino of the Sheriff's Department speaks about the precautions being taken to keep O.C. residents safe.
UPDATED 1:18 PM—Officials say Newport beaches are now open again.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department said beaches are closed, and will remain that way until they’re confident it is safe.
Jim Amormino of the department warned potential beachgoers to stay away from the water.
“The beaches, the piers, the marina and harbors will stay closed until it’s deemed safe by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department,” Amormino told ATVN.
“As a precaution, we wanted to make sure that no one’s safety was in jeopardy,” he added.
He said there’s been no reported damage in Orange County, but urged that people take every precaution.
But Amormino said a number of people have been ignoring the warnings altogether.
“Even with all the warnings, we’ve had a number of people in the water on kayaks and paddleboards and even on the rock jetty,” he said. “That’s very dangerous.”
He said the wave itself may not be dangerous along the California coast, but the change in ocean current patterns could pose a problem.
“The concern is the current that the tsunami brings with it.”
