Nanumea is Vulnerable During Storms!!
This is edited from Wikipedia, “Cyclone Pam”:
Prior to the formation of tropical Cyclone Pam (early in March, 2015) flooding from king tides affected Nanumea and all of Tuvalu. These tides peaked at 3.4 m (11 ft) on 19 February 2015. Between 10 and 11 March waves, estimated to be 3–5 m (9.8–16.4 ft) associated with the cyclone swept across the low-lying islands of Tuvalu, particularly the outer islands. Significant damage to agriculture and infrastructure occurred.
The outermost islands were hardest hit, with one flooded in its entirety. A state of emergency was subsequently declared on 14 March. Water supplies on Nui were contaminated by seawater and rendered undrinkable. An estimated 45 percent of the nation's nearly 10,000 people were displaced, according to Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga. Damage across the nation amounted to US$92 million. Significant saltwater intrusion occurred on eight islands.
All the Tuvalu islands are low-lying, meaning that storm surges can be very damaging. Collected here are pictures of storms that have affected Nanumea.
Cyclone Pam created very destructive storm surges (waves) which swept over most or all of the outer Tuvalu islands between 10-11 March, 2015 and perhaps for some days later.
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This is from a Facebook description of damage at Nanumea:
Regarding Nanumea, the northernmost of the 9 Tuvalu islands, so far we know waves swept from the ocean side, between the area of the ruined landing craft and near the pass that goes into the lagoon - quite a strip there. The tip of the main village islet near the pass (called Hahake) was underwater for a time, vegetation badly hit and a small cemetery there wiped off the face of the earth (graves probably still down there). The main cemetery is represented only by a blurry photo here, but we hear that it was a mess, tho not destroyed.
Nearer the church waves came ashore and destroyed a very solidly built concrete church meeting house that was at that shore (direction of landing craft) -- you'll see it in photos.
Main interior road was awash, and eyewitnesses in Nanumea say the wave swept over the width of the village from ocean shore right into the lagoon. Water tanks were tipped over and perhaps ruined, and ocean water is said to have gotten into the big cement cisterns (half underground) near the ahiga and church complex. We have not heard if Lakena islet, some 6 miles at the far northern end, was affected, or the houses across the lagoon at Matagi. The power generators were knocked out and offline, and communication was apparently by satelite phone to Funafuti.
Latest fb news is winds are way down, waves are much reduced and not coming onto land, so things in Nanumea at least are subsiding.