The National Weather Service issued high surf advisories Thursday morning for large portions Northern California, with waves up to 30 feet high expected to hit portions of the coast until Sunday.

An increasingly ferocious and volatile surf is raising questions about the future of the state’s piers, which have defined the coastline for generations.

A man died on a Santa Cruz beach Monday after being pinned under debris washed up by a large wave, authorities said. Another man has been reported missing.