Huge waves caused severe flooding at the US military base in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific, where it could take several months for the situation to return to normal, the US military warned on Thursday.
A violent storm hit Kwajalein Atoll on Roi Namur Island in the Marshall Islands last weekend, where sophisticated American military equipment is stationed.
The Marshall Islands military site, a chain of volcanic islands and coral atolls halfway between Hawaii and Australia, is used primarily for ballistic missile testing and space operations.
According to the images published on social networks, we can see how downpours carry people away in their path, breaking and tearing out windows.
About 80 of the base's 120 employees had to be evacuated, the US military said. A 60-person team remained on site to assess the damage and restore basic services.
Aerial footage showed the extent of damage to infrastructure after the waves hit, with several areas still inundated.
“Clearing the Roi-Namur airstrip and ensuring its safety is our top priority,” Garrison Commander Colonel Drew Morgan said in a statement. “Once the runway is open, we can move people and equipment to begin reconstruction,” he added.
The U.S. Army estimated that reconstruction work would take several months at the base, where flooding had affected housing, dining and entertainment, and transportation.