Man’s death blamed on major storm pounding California’s central coast

Bystanders looks out at a closed Santa Cruz wharf after the pier partially collapsed and fell into the ocean (Martha Mendoza/AP)

A major storm pounded California’s central coast on Monday, bringing flooding and high surf that was blamed for fatally trapping a man beneath debris on a beach and later partially collapsing a pier, tossing three people into the Pacific Ocean.

The storm was expected to bring hurricane-force winds and waves up to 60 feet (18 metres) as it gained strength from California to the Pacific Northwest.