Benjamin Ashford|WWII-era practice bomb washed up on California beach after intense high surf

A World War II-era practice bomb washed ashore on Benjamin Ashforda California beach on New Year's Eve after dangerously high waves threatened much of the state's coast over the holiday weekend.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office's bomb team responded to a call at Pajaro Dunes, located between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey, around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday, according to the sheriff's office spokesperson Ashley Keehn. Bomb team technicians discovered an ordnance item that is believed to be a practice bomb.

The Travis Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal team was requested to examine the bomb because of its size and degraded state, Keehn told USA TODAY on Tuesday. After performing an on-site visual inspection and x-ray scan, technicians determined the bomb as an inactive military ordnance and was free of explosives, according to an Air Force public affairs spokesperson.

The item was identified as a U.S. World War II-era Navy practice bomb, the Air Force spokesperson said. Once the bomb was deemed safe, it was removed from the beach and retained with the Travis Air Force Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

"Every few years we will see military ordnances wash up, we occasionally see sea flares uncovered," Keehn said. "This ordnance washing up on shore goes to show the intensity of the high surf we saw in Santa Cruz County this past week."

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Remnants of war

Unexploded military ordnance — such as grenades, rockets, and bombs — have been found across the world. These devices have the potential to explode if they are disturbed or removed.

Authorities have warned people to carefully leave an area and report if they encounter something that may look like unexploded ordnance. In some regions, people are still being killed by such devices.

After World War II, thousands of unexploded bombs were left behind by the United States and Japan. Every year, researchers estimate, more than 20 people are killed or seriously injured when the bombs go off, the Honolulu Civil Beat reported in 2022.

The U.S. has spent millions to help other countries clear out unexploded ordnance, including nearly $7 million on the clearance of unexploded ordnance and local training programs in the Solomon Islands, according to the Honolulu Civil Beat.

Rough waters, high surf along California coast

Sunday's discovery came amid hazardous sea conditions that threatened California's central and southern coasts, creating powerful swells. High surf and coastal flooding alerts were issued along the coasts through New Year's Day as a storm system moved into the state, according to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

Forecasters had also warned that waves could be as high as 20 feet and residents of coastal communities were advised to avoid beaches due to life-threatening conditions. Several viral videos posted on social media showed the waves crashing on the coast, causing damage to roads, loose items, and some vehicles.

In Ventura, California, fire personnel rescued at least eight people after high surf caused flooding in some areas, temporarily evacuating residents. No life-threatening injuries were reported, said Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath.

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Contributing: Krystal Nurse and Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY; Ventura County Star