Around Tuesday 9 December, two regions of abnormally high sea levels, one over the Solomon Sea South of the New Britain Coast in PNG, and one over Guam waters north of the equator, appear to have been forced together by two tropical depressions.
(Source - PNG National Weather Service Press Release, Tuesday 9 December.)

This has created abnormally high sea levels that have since impacted upon Kiribati, the Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia.

Kiribati

The Department of Meteorology reported on Friday 12 December that the Island of Marakei was impacted by the sea's increased swell with damage to locally built houses and the sea wall. The Rongorongo Man Ami Tautaeka (RMAT), a newsletter published by the Kiribati Government, reported on Friday that the sea swell had caused no deaths, but that 17 families have been left homeless. The newsletter also reported that a number of people from Rawannawi Village, where the waves from the swell were said to have had the greatest effect, were displaced and have moved to higher ground. The tide is expected to peak on Saturday 13 December.

Federated States of Micronesia

On Saturday 13 December, the Office of Environment & Emergency Management-National Government (OEM) reported high surf and inundation on some of the islands in the FSM. The Kosrae Governor has officially requested assistance from the national government for a preliminary damage assessment. The OEM reports that Yap is experiencing similar phenomena in the outer islands and that there is unofficial word that some of the southwest islands of Pohnpei are also experiencing high surf.

Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands Red Cross contacted the National Disaster Management Office on Friday morning, 12 December and spoke with the Director. As yet, the office had received no reports from the province of Shortland Islands, which is nearby the affected Bougainville in PNG, of any damage which may cause humanitarian need. As of 6.00 pm Friday 12 December, the Solomon Islands NZAID office had also not received any reports of humanitarian impact caused by abnormal sea swell.

Republic of the Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands Country Development Manager reported at 6pm on Friday 12 December that swells of 12ft high had impacted the lower lying areas of Majuro on Wednesday 10 December. The National Disaster Management Office reported unofficially on Saturday 13 December that the wave surge event in Majuro had not resulted in any significant damage to infrastructure or threat to life. The NDMO believes that additional wave surges are a possibility at Majuro during the next 24-48 hours. During that same timeframe, locations in Kwajalein atoll (the Army base installations and neighbouring Ebeye) have also been advised to expect and prepare for wave surges. The Marshall Islands Journal reports that the Majuro Weather Station expects the tide will peak at 5.5 feet at 4.32 pm on Saturday 13 December, 1.4 feet higher than the tide associated with the previous destructive wave surge.

Information supplied by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Pacific Office.

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