80 of the 120 troops have been evacuated in Roi-Namur, leaving 60 to assess the damage
A cleanup operation is underway after giant waves inundated a US military base in the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific on Saturday, damaging infrastructure and forcing dozens of people to evacuate last weekend.
“On the evening of January 20, 2024, a series of weather-induced waves caused a significant flooding of ocean water on the island of Roi-Namur,” the US military said in a statement earlier this week.
Its island is the second largest in Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. They are an extensive chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls halfway between Hawaii and Australia.
The US Army garrison – Kwajalein Atoll on the island of Roi-Namur, home to some of the US's most sophisticated missile and space tracking equipment, was severely damaged.
A video that went viral on social media showed huge breakwaters hitting the American garrison, causing the water to knock over bystanders, break glass doors and shatter windows.
One person was injured in the event, garrison spokesman Mike Brantley said a day after the incident.
The injured were treated for their injuries at a local clinic on Kwajalein Island. No deaths were reported.
Aerial photographs showed extensive damage to the island's infrastructure after waves left several areas underwater.
The garrison evacuated 80 of Roi-Namur's 120 troops, leaving 60 to assess the damage and restore basic services.
“Clearing the Roi-Namur runway and assessing its safety is our top priority,” garrison commander Col. Drew Morgan said in a statement. “Once the runway is open, we will be able to move people and equipment back and forth to begin the recovery process.”
It could take months to repair the damaged garrison, the US military said after seawater flooded accommodation, dining, transportation and entertainment buildings.
