Marshall Islands facing extreme high tides

Transcript

People in the Marshall Islands are preparing for flooding due to very high tides combined with a storm brewing in the area.

The storm, which is expected to move across Marshall Islands this week with near-gale force winds, is kicking up heavy ocean swells that are expected to raise the risk of ocean flooding of low-lying areas in the Marshall Islands capital, Majuro.

Our correspondent, Giff Johnson, told Leilani Momoisea the Marshall Islands gets these types of flooding incidents at least once a year, sometimes more.

GIFF JOHNSON: In fact a climate researcher was telling me that since 1976 there have been 19 recorded periods of ocean inundation here in Majuro. As far as I know, I haven't seen any warnings or any particular activity by government here on this. There may be some things going on but I think the main thing is that this notice that was put out yesterday by the US Weather officials in Guam was being circulated around to people, so that the people in areas that have a tendency to flood that are particularly low-lying or that are in areas that are going to feel the brunt of wind coming in are aware of it, and they can try to plan accordingly.

LEILANI MOMOISEA: Right, so at the moment it's just sort of relying on individual vigilance.

GJ: Yeah, well there's not a whole lot more than can be done. I think the most important thing is that people have information so that they're aware that this might happen. That allows people at least to prepare and particularly for people who live in zones that have flooded in the past. They kind of know the drill, you get things out of the way, you move things, you don't leave your vehicle in a particular location, things like that. You just do your best to mitigate it. The thing is, that although there's been flooding over the last half a dozen years, in particular places in Majuro, there really has not been much in the way of mitigation projects say, to improve shoreline protection in these particular areas to try to reduce the threat of these high tides. Really the problem is when these high tides coincide with a storm, some kind of heavy winds or storm surges, because that tends to push what is already a high tide situation into inundation. That's what we might see later this afternoon and also Thursday or Friday according to the weather forecast.

LM: And would it be just that they'd move inland for a time and hope for the best? Is that essentially all that can be done?

GJ: Well there isn't much inland, and that's part of the thing. I think generally people will move, will just get out of an area and go somewhere else for awhile. There just isn't much that can be done. Unless some shoreline improvements are put in to make it more difficult for these high tides to flood over on the land. Until that's done, we're just going to be subject to these periodic king-tides and surges that are going to flood the area.