Massive waves caused damage to a U.S. military installation on the remote island of Roi-Namur. Roi-Namur is part of the Marshall Islands' Kwajalein Atoll.
Erik D. Hanson, a diver who was stationed on the base captured footage showing the huge waves knocking down the doors of the base's dining hall.
In a post on Instagram, Hanson said that the waves were not a tsunami. He said, "Roi Namur island was hit hard by several huge waves Saturday night".
He went on to say, "It was a combination of wind, tides, and swell direction," "It also was right after low tide at a 1.2ft tide, so it could have been worse."
The U.S. Army said that the waves, which hit the island that houses the U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, forced 80 of the 120 people stationed there to evacuate.
Photo: U.S. Army
The base experienced massive flooding due to the waves, causing extensive damage to several facilities, including unaccompanied personnel housing, the dining facility, Outrigger Bar and Grill, the chapel, Tradewinds Theater, and the automotive complex, which is currently submerged.
By United States Department of the Interior -
One person was injured and remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Officials say that roughly 60 people remain at the base as they work to assess and clean up the damage, a process that could take several months.
"Clearing the runway on Roi-Namur and assessing its safety is our top priority now that we have evacuated personnel not required for the initial response efforts," said Col. Drew Morgan, USAG–KA garrison commander. "Once the runway is open, we can move people and equipment back and forth to start the recovery process."
Video captured by Erik D. Hanson