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Video of ferry hit by storm surge goes viral
A viral video aboard a Washington State Ferry is raising eyebrows and some serious concerns, after a boat bound for Anacortes was suddenly hit by a storm surge near the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
ANACORTES, Wash. - The Issaquah ferry flooded while traveling through rough seas near the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Tuesday.
The footage, shared by thousands on TikTok is raising eyebrows and questions.
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Washington ferry floods while crossing Strait of Juan de Fuca
A video circulating on TikTok shows a Washington ferry rocking on waves as it was traveling from Eagle Harbor to Anacortes, gushing water across the lower deck.
Ian Sterling with Washington State Ferries said damage was kept to a minimum, as only one of the employee's cars was battered by the flooding. Photos taken on that same vessel’s passenger deck show the damage up above as well. Ceiling panels came crashing down and the galley was left in shambles.
"The first half of the journey went real smoothly, and second half not so much," said Sterling. "As soon as they hit that open water there, where ferries typically don’t travel out in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, it was a lot hairier than what was predicted."
According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the only passengers on the ferry were crew members transporting it for service.
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Washington ferries rarely travel through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
"These are big big boats designed for inland sea crossings like Puget Sound and this was out of its comfort level obviously," said Sterling.