Powerful waves are expected to batter Northern California, again, following a flurry of earlier storms that destroyed a portion of a historic pier.

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

At least one person is dead and one reported missing amid massive surf that pounded parts of the California coast Monday, including Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay area. The waves were fueled by the latest in a series of storms to hit the West Coast in recent days.