This is the terrifying moment freak waves smashed the doors of a Marshall Islands army base, causing the evacuation of ‘non-mission personnel’ and sending furniture flying.
The bizarre incident happened around 9pm on Saturday when three to four foot ‘weather-induced waves’ devastated Roi-Namur, an island in the northern part of Kwajalein Atoll.
One person suffered lower body injuries and was treated at the Kwajalein Island clinic. That person is in stable condition, according to Army Officer Mike Brantley.
Flooding caused by the huge waves also hit two airports on Ailinglaplap Atoll, a ring-shaped island surrounded by coral.
“We have accountability for all employees and have evacuated all non-essential personnel to Kwajalein,” the US military said in a statement on Sunday evening.
People can be seen behind the door being smashed by powerful waves just outside the dining room in the Marshall Islands
One person suffered lower body injuries and was treated at the Kwajalein Island clinic. This person’s condition is now stable
Rocks, debris and coral were left behind by the impact and are expected to keep airports closed for weeks as other islands in the atoll reported flooding and moderate damage.
The video has since been circulating online, showing the moment the giant waves crashed their way through the army mess hall.
Someone from the hall captures the moment the rushing water breaks through just outside the entrance, as people outside try to grab what they can and escape.
Barely any time, the powerful waves quickly crack and break the glass of the double doors.
Water continues to pour into the building as people in the dining room brace themselves, holding on to available furniture and looking scared.
One man hovers above a piece of furniture while holding a green bottle of beer and watching the wave flow through it.
Two waves were reported at the disastrous scene, with the first entering the base and the second entering the mess hall, reaching a height of one and a half meters, according to Mariana’s variety.
“The U.S. Army Garrison-Kwajalein Atoll and mission partners have established a contingency operations cell to oversee and coordinate all recovery efforts,” the Army said in a statement.
Large tree branches are seen caught in heavy waves breaking through the building on the island
The U.S. Army Base in the Marshall Islands is home to members of the military, civilian government employees, family members, U.S. contract personnel, and host country personnel
A damage assessment carried out by the army on Sunday morning revealed ‘how water floods’ inundated Rio-Namur, submerging ‘at least a third of it’.
Flooding also occurred in other buildings and “the entire area of the car depots,” the army said.
A small island just five kilometers from Rio-Namur was not affected by the waves and widespread flooding, said David Paul, a Kwajalein MP.
Roi-Namur is home to some of the US military’s most advanced space tracking equipment, part of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site.
In addition to members of the military, the base also houses civilian government employees, family members, U.S. contract personnel, and host country personnel.
“These fine people come together to form a diverse element best described as ‘Team Kwaj,'” the U.S. Army said on its website.
A damage assessment carried out by the army on Sunday morning revealed ‘how the water inundation engulfed Rio-Namur, flooding ‘at least a third of it’.
Two waves were reported at the disastrous scene, as the first entered the base and the second entered the mess hall, reaching a height of five feet.
Approximately 1,300 Americans live on both the islands of Kwajalein and Roi-Namur who work for the U.S. government and the Department of Defense and are U.S. contractors.
Marshall Islands is a country in the central Pacific Ocean and consists of more than 1,200 islands and inlets.
The US took military and administrative control of the Marshall Islands from Japan in 1944 after World War II.
In 1983, the Marshal Islands then signed a Compact of Free Association with the US and became independent.