FREAK WAVES, UNUSUALLY HIGH TIDES

Tsunami Threats

Wave Watch - Track significant wave heights and directions in the Indian Ocean.

Australia weather and wave charts.

2007 -
11/15/07 -
Dozens of the world's small island nations appealed Wednesday for rapid international action against climate change, fearing it is only a matter of time before they are submerged. Delegates from 26 low-lying nations, including Tuvalu, Micronesia, Kiribati and Palau, ended two-days of talks by closing ranks ahead of a global climate change meeting in Bali in December. A United Nations climate panel recently said world sea levels are likely to rise up to 59 centimetres (23 inches) by 2100. "We are seeing UNUSUAL rises in sea water levels, it's affecting our crops, homes, it's threatening our livelihoods," said Fiji's Environment Minister. "Time is running out." The Maldivian President also warned that a one-metre rise in sea levels would herald the "death of a nation." Scientific opinion is divided on how soon that could happen, with estimates ranging from 30 to 100 years. The tidal surges experienced on 80 of the Maldives' 200 inhabited islands earlier this year were "a grim reminder of the devastating tsunami of 2004 and a clear warning of future disasters."

NETHERLANDS - The Dutch enjoy a hard-earned reputation for building river dikes and sea barriers. Over centuries, they have transformed a flood-prone river delta into a wealthy nation roughly twice the size of New Jersey. If scientific projections for global warming are right, however, that success will be sorely tested. Globally, sea levels may rise up to a foot during the early part of this century, and up to nearly three feet by century's end. This would bring higher tidal surges from the more-intense coastal storms that scientists also project, along with the risk of more frequent and more severe river floods from intense rainfall inland. Nowhere are adaptation planning efforts to address rising sea levels and flooding more advanced than in the Netherlands. Powerful pumps long ago replaced the signature windmills. But in the 1990s, "for the first time, rainfall was so heavy and intense that our pumping systems could not cope. On such a large scale," the inability of pumps to keep pace with rainfall was "SOMETHING WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED BEFORE." By buying out a few farmers, breaching the dikes they built to protect their land, and digging additional water channels, the Dutch government aims to reduce peak flood flows at Dordrecht and other cities downstream. No longer will tightly constricted river and canal channels hold high water captive. Big floods will overspread the Biesbosch, reducing the threat of water spilling over the top of levees that guard densely populated cities to the west. The Biesbosch may also be critical to the future of farming on the productive southwest coast. There, most of the area's fresh water sources are close to the coast – and vulnerable to salt-water contamination from a rising North Sea. This could make farming difficult, if not impossible.
Nearly 40 percent of the world's 6.6 billion people within 60 miles of a seacoast. If current trends continue through 2050, flooding in the Nile, Mekong, and Ganges-Brahmaputra river deltas could each displace more than 1 million people. Up to a million more may be forced to head for higher ground in each of another nine deltas, including the Mississippi River delta. Netherlands officials may ask their developers to use a technique that dates back centuries: building houses, even whole villages, on mounds. That low-tech approach is appearing in other parts of the world, too. Oxfam International is working with villages in Bangladesh to build individual homes and even small villages on flood-resistant mounds. The government plans to spend $3.2 billion to make changes to its rivers. Meanwhile, along the coast, the big worry is not about any average increase in sea level, which scientists project to rise here between 35 and 85 cm (14 to 33 inches) by 2100. Instead, the biggest concern is the change in storm-surge patterns that will ride atop that rise. Some researchers say that in the US Northeast, midcentury coastal winter storms could lead to flood levels every three or four years – floods of a severity that used to occur only once every 100 years. Netherlands planners aim for a 10,000-year storm for the country's most vulnerable areas. And even that may be inadequate. "When you do an economic assessment of the damage, and what you can afford to [spend to] avoid that damage, a better safety level would be a recurrence of 1 in 100,000 years." One storm like that could cost the country up to a year's worth of gross domestic product.

OREGON - Mysterious brown waves are freaking out visitors to the Oregon coast – especially the Seaside area. But there’s nothing inexplicable about it. “Seaside is experiencing a large diatom bloom, which is painting the surf brown and littering the beach with foam." Diatoms are the tiny phytoplanktons that actually form the sea foam that you see on the beaches. With the calm conditions the coastal beaches are seeing now, after the stormy winds and high, broiling surf of Monday that churned up lots of foam, there’s a large amount of stuff all over the beaches. But especially foam and its creators – diatoms – have been roughed up and agitated into making a big appearance. The result is waves with a lot of brown in them, brown goo lying around the beaches in the form of foam, and large tracts of dark, oily-looking spots on the sand. The phenomenon is happening all over the coast, but especially around Seaside. (photos)

11/11/07 -
Tidal surge 'devastation' averted by minutes - The tidal surge in Britain that forced the emergency services to evacuate more than 1,000 people from their homes and urge the residents of thousands of others to batten down the hatches, came within eight inches of engulfing the East Coast. The Environment Agency admitted that the region had been within a "hair's breadth" of disaster, and that it was only good fortune that averted a catastrophe. The FREAK surge striking East Anglia and Kent missed the high tide by minutes, allowing flood defences to hold out and protect thousands of homes. The agency said that if the waters had risen by a further eight inches, it would have caused "utter devastation". "We were a hair's breadth away from disaster, it really was that close." The tides along the coast were as high as they were in 1953, when a flood claimed the lives of 300 people. Not all towns and villages were spared, however. The brunt of the surge was borne by the Norfolk village of Walcott, 20 miles north of Great Yarmouth, where the flood defence wall crumbled under the pressure of water. Houses along a 300-yard stretch of seafront had their conservatories smashed to pieces and lawns torn up. Elsewhere windows were blown out and brick walls destroyed. (photos)
BRITAIN - The East Anglian coast escaped the predicted tidal surge devastation, but meteorologists say climate change means storms will increase tenfold by the end of the century. The extreme weather which threatened hundreds of lives and prompted mass evacuations in the east of England this week will become far more common over the next few decades, scientists warned. Such meteorological events currently have led to extreme flooding about once a century, but by the end of the century that will have risen to once a decade. During this week's event, the feared catastrophe did not materialise only because the surge did not coincide with high tide. Climate change means there is more unpredictable energy in the atmosphere, which can lead to periods of low pressure. "It's to do with more surges in the atmosphere."
NETHERLANDS - The north-west storm that raced over the Netherlands with wind speeds of more than 100 kilometres per hour caused RECORD-HIGH WATER LEVELS. The harbour of Vlieland, one of the northern islands in the North Sea, flooded Friday morning. Flooding also occurred in Terschelling and Ameland, two other islands in the North Sea. Strong winds of 100kph are not exceptional for this time of the year in the Netherlands, but it is the combination of wind direction, rain and a seawater level that was already high prior to the storm that caused the state of alert. Elsewhere in the country, the first strong autumn storm of 2007 in the Netherlands caused damage to public and personal property. In the province of Noord-Brabant, rooftops of homes were damaged and trees fell on cars. In several places located near the sea, local flooding occurred. The whole north-east coast of the Netherlands remained on high alert throughout Friday.

Sneaker Waves - Sneaker waves are common and often catch people off guard while standing onshore. You can't see them and they are impossible to predict. These occur when smaller waves pile up on top each other to form one large wave – sometimes twice as large as the previous sets. Also, they can carry large pieces of debris with them such as logs, which present a whole set of other dangers. Sneaker waves are a universal coastal phenomenon, although they are known to be more common in some areas than others. In the United States, northern California, Oregon and Washington are particularly affected. They can occur at anytime, even if it is calm and the surf is small. In Oregon, there were a couple of incidences last winter where people were injured or swept out to sea by sneaker waves. That includes a pair of women at Gleneden Beach, near Lincoln City, whose bodies were never found after a walk on a stormy beach ended in tragedy. Even cars were damaged in recent years. At the cove in Seaside, during large storms when the surf is huge, enormous sneaker waves have come up into the parking lot, abruptly and without notice, littering it with large cove rocks and debris and denting cars in the process. (photos)

11/09/07 -
BRITAIN - Flood evacuees in on the east coast were today told they could return to their homes after fears of a devastating tidal wave evaporated. The worst appeared to be over, although plans were still in place in case of a deterioration in conditions. "The peak has passed without major incident although there was localised flooding." Tides looked higher than usual and provided surfers with dramatic conditions, but flood defences held in most places. Those who live along or visit parts of the Lincolnshire coast are being warned about a possible surge later between 3pm and 7pm today. "Our advice is to avoid going onto the beaches along the east coast for the next couple of days." At Ness Point, Britain's most easterly extremity, waves were reaching heights of at least 20ft as they crashed against sea defences. Storm surges occur when severe gales pushing on the sea's surface and extremely low pressure combine to produce a mass of water moving across the sea. (photos)[see item below for the original threat.]
UNITED KINGDOM, NETHERLANDS, DENMARK, GERMANY - A storm in the North Sea has left Britain and the Netherlands facing the WORST FLOOD THREAT IN DECADES with tidal surges predicted early today. A tidal surge of up to 3m (10ft) was making its way down the North Sea, and it could coincide with peak high tides. Flood defences have been put on alert on the entire Dutch coast and flood warnings are in place for the eastern and northern coasts of Britain. A tidal wave in 1953 killed more than 2,000 people in both countries. Oil platforms have been closed off the Norwegian coast and gales are expected in Germany and Denmark. The Dutch transport ministry said this was THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1976 THAT THE WHOLE NORTH SEA COAST WAS UNDER ALERT. Authorities closed the giant Maeslant barrier that guards entrance to the largest port in Europe in Rotterdam, for the first time since its construction in the 1990s. In Britain, the Thames River and Dartford Creek barriers are being shut as waters are forecast to surge 1.5 metres (5 feet) above normal sea levels. The Met Office was predicting THE HIGHEST TIDE SINCE 1983 in Felixstowe, Suffolk. UK government warned large areas of Norfolk and Kent coasts were at risk of severe flooding and the Met Office warned of gusts of up to 145km/h (90mph) for the Orkney and Shetland islands in Scotland. The storm surge is expected to peak around dawn today, and several hundred people have left their homes near Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Severe gale warnings were issued in Germany and Denmark, with wind gusts of up to 125km/h (80mph) expected. In Germany, regions around the Elbe and Elm rivers were under flood warnings. The North Sea storm affected oil industry in Norway, the fifth largest exporter of crude in the world, with the closure of oil platforms off its coast. Norway's oil production of 220,000 barrels per day is expected to be slashed by 10% possibly leading to increases in the price of crude, already at record levels.

AFRICA - Around a third of Africa's existing coastline could be swallowed up by rising water levels brought on by global warming, by the end of this century, the United Nations' top environment official said on Thursday. The impact of climate change is already clearly in evidence and will become more serious in the coming years. "We know that we are on the course of having sea-levels rising from 20 (7.8 inches) to 60 centimetres (23.6 inches) in this century." The continent is already experiencing "major coastal erosion", calcification of shellfish under the increasing heat, and dramatic shifts in currents, as new climactic phenomena appear.

11/8/07 -
CALIFORNIA - Storm brings big waves to Southern California beaches - Wednesday waves up to 9 feet were crashing on Southland beaches, the product of a distant storm. "Basically, this is a storm that started out in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a late-season storm and pretty significant ... one of the largest of the season since April." Most beaches are getting sets of 5-7 feet, but some southwest-facing ones, such as Manhattan Beach, are getting occasional sets up to 9 feet. "Because of the long periods between the max sets, it makes it especially dangerous for people to get out on rocks." In Newport Beach on April 10, a couple fishing on the east jetty at the mouth of the harbor were swept into the ocean and killed by a big wave. A high surf advisory remains in place through 4 a.m. today. Drivers headed for the coast should be ready for dense fog. The period between waves is 12-15 seconds, and water temperatures are around 60 degrees. In Malibu and closer to the Ventura County line, the temperature was around 55 degrees. The rip current risk is high. The big waves crashing on the beach are carving trenches as the water runs back toward the ocean, and that creates something akin to miniature rivers running away from shore. "Anytime you have high surf, it erodes spots along the beach into channels." Low-lying areas, such as Seal Beach, could see some flooding. The high tide arrived around 8 p.m. Wednesday.

FLORIDA - Scientists say Florida can expect more frequent and destructive hurricanes, hotter weather and rising sea levels that could inundate coastal areas. The chairman of the University of Miami's Department of Geological Sciences predicted a 1.5 foot rise in sea level in 50 years and a three- to five-foot increase by the end of the century. At two feet, South Florida would still be livable.. "Three feet's going to get messy. Four feet becomes extremely difficult to live in South Florida and five feet probably impossible." Scientists don't yet have a clear picture of whether climate change will make Florida wetter or drier, but either way the forecast is for heavier rains that are fewer and far between, creating a potential for flood and drought.

10/28/07 -
VIETNAM - Ho Chi Minh City will see RECORD HIGH TIDES within the next few days and can expect widespread flooding if the predicted heavy rains appear at the same time. The Southern Hydrometeorology Station says the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers will peak between Friday and Monday and reach 1.49 meters at Phu An on Sunday. As large volumes of water are released from the dams, outlying areas of the city should experience flooding during this period. The swollen waters could even breach embankments. In the already devastated central region, river levels in Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Quang Ngai and Phu Yen reached alarming levels on Thursday, and the rivers in Quang Nam, Ninh Thuan and Gia Lai were continuing to rise. Heavy rain in Khanh Hoa put many roads 30 centimeters underwater and disrupted traffic severely. The storms also caused landslides in Da Lat in the highlands and generated twisters in Quang Nam farther up the coast. Heavy flooding has been hitting all parts of the country since last month, making hundreds of families homeless and inundating large areas of agricultural land.

10/16/07 -
PAKISTAN - Twelve people, including three children, drowned Monday while picnicking on a beach during the Eid holiday near Pakistan's main port city on the Arabian Sea. Strong waves struck a group of 15 picnickers who had waded far into the sea at the Gadani beach about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Karachi. Twelve people drowned while two others were pulled safely from the sea by rescuers.

NIUE - Help us, we're sinking, says Niue. The leader of the tiny Pacific nation of Niue has begged developed nations to urgently act on climate change, saying his country could be uninhabitable within decades. His country and other small Pacific nations are facing catastrophe if sea levels rise. "It is very serious because if they (the biggest polluting nations) don't listen now, and we don't do something now, we are gone. That is for sure, and we are scared. The problem is huge and I think the voices of the Pacific islands have been yelling for the last 15 or 20 years and nobody is listening...I am not a scientist, but I have been told our time is very short ... I think a few decades, it is very short."

10/22/07 -
Twenty-one major cities around the world are at risk of having areas swamped by rising sea levels from global warming, a think-tank has warned. New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Bangkok, Jakarta, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai, Cairo, Mumbai and Karachi were among the "highly vulnerable" cities at risk. "Although natural disasters are often presented as rare and unexpected tragedies, the reality is they now occur more frequently, affect more people and cause bigger economic damage than ever before". The world is already "seeing hints" of the way climate change will affect cities by amplifying natural hazards including rising sea levels. In the last century the oceans rose by between 9cm and 20cm and scientists predict further increases of up to 88cm by 2100. Cities will need to plan ahead to avoid disaster.

10/15/07 -
THAILAND - A young British woman was the lone survivor of a flash flood that swept her boyfriend and seven other tourists to their deaths in a cave in southern Thailand. She was left clinging to a ledge for hours after the FREAK WAVE washed through Nam Talu cave in Khao Sok national park. Reports said that a group leaving the cave complex had warned the party not to go in. She said she was unaware of any such warnings.

10/9/07 -
IVORY COAST - The historic old colonial town of Grand Lahou is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea. Some predict the town will be under water in 10 years. Once one of the first points of contact between Africans and the French, Grand Lahou is threatened by a combination of climate change and other factors. If it does disappear under the waves it will be something like a second death for the town. First the imposing old French colonial buildings were abandoned, and now the current ramshackle houses that sprang up alongside the old French buildings are threatened. "We have rebuilt our house 20 metres away. But I am still scared. The way the sea keeps rising, it is certain to reach there too." Residents of this poor fishing community don't want to move away from their sources of income - the sea and the nearby lagoon. But a combination of the sea to the front and the water behind is killing Grand Lahou. The uncontrolled mouth of the river Bandama is attacking the town from behind, while the sea is eroding it from the front. Most of the town's inhabitants have moved to a new town, Nouveau Lahou, some 15km (9.4 miles) away. But several hundred are still here. The problem is not restricted to Grand Lahou either. Erosion is affecting much of Ivory Coast's coastline, and indeed many other places in West Africa. But solutions are extremely costly. (photos)

10/8/07 -
Conservation experts are to reverse five centuries of British history and deliberately allow rising sea levels to flood a huge stretch of reclaimed Essex coastline. In the most ambitious and expensive project of its type, the RSPB intends to puncture sea defences around Wallasea island, near Southend, and turn 728 hectares (1,800 acres) of farmland into a mosaic of saltmarsh, creeks and mudflats - making mainland Britain just a little bit smaller. Generations of farmers have worked the land there for 500 years, since Dutch settlers first built a wall wall around the remote strip of coast; the RSPB wants to transform the area into a wildlife reserve. As the sea returns, so should otters, wild plants, fish and birds, some of which have not nested in the UK for more than 400 years. " We will be restoring habitats that were lost more than 400 years ago and preparing the land for sea level rise. This is land that was borrowed from the sea that now the sea is reclaiming." Similar projects are under way in Germany, the United States, Denmark and Holland.

SOUTH AFRICA - The giant surf that pounded Durban's coastline in March this year caused damage estimated at R115-million - and it will take at least another two years before the city's beaches and infrastructure are fully repaired. This figure does not include damage suffered to private property, which would push the estimate significantly higher. And the bad news is that surf of similar force and intensity - or even greater - can be expected within the next few years. The sea level is rising along the South African coast. Durban's sea level is rising by about 2.7mm a year.

10/3/07 -
ATLANTIC - The combination of an area of high pressure off the Northeast coast and the low pressure in the tropics has created a broad, strong northeasterly wind blowing over a long fetch of the Atlantic. The strong onshore winds have produced large waves and rough surf from Florida to the Carolinas. Severe beach erosion was reported on Tybee Island and Sapelo Island in Georgia. Several lifeguard towers were destroyed on Tybee Island and turtle nesting grounds on Sapelo Island were wiped out. Coastal flooding was reported in Charleston, S.C., and Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

MALAYSIA - About 50 endangered sea turtles have washed ashore with logs and debris in Malaysia, possibly due to strong currents after recent earthquakes in Indonesia. Two of the hawksbill turtles, which landed Saturday on muddy Kuala Tunjang beach in the northwestern state of Kedah, were found dead, while four others were injured and being treated. The rest of the turtles have been released into the sea. The logs and bamboo which washed ashore with the turtles were not found in Malaysia, and the plastic water bottles and shampoo containers in the debris had Indonesian labels. "We believe the logs are from Indonesia" and washed over to Kedah by strong currents following recent tremors in Indonesia. Indonesia's Sumatra island, separated from peninsular Malaysia's west coast by the narrow Strait of Malacca, has been rattled by a series of strong earthquakes that killed nearly two dozen people last month. This is the first time hawksbill turtles have been found in Kuala Tunjang, although some had nested in other parts of the state some years ago.

10/1/07 -
PHILIPPINES - Nine houses were destroyed, while nine others were damaged, when strong waves hit a coastal village on Saturday night. The waves also displaced at least 77 families in Barangay (village) 76-A in Bucana District. Houses near the shore were destroyed when strong waves suddenly hit the village at around 7 p.m. Saturday. Three persons were hurt when wooden house materials fell on them.

FLORIDA - Stormy weather took a bite out of local beaches Sunday, leaving residents gawking at damage to Bathtub Reef Beach in Stuart. Winds gusted to about 30 miles per hour in some areas of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, causing such serious erosion on Hutchinson Island that visitors lifted yellow police caution tape to scamper up a sand berm for a better look at waves stealing sand from Bathtub Reef Beach. Officials closed Bathtub Reef Beach last week after erosion exposed tree trunks and roots at the popular swimming spot on Hutchinson Island. They also trucked in a dozen loads of sand to build a berm along the parking lot. But the weekend's gusty northeastern winds sent a steady spray up and over the berm and nearby fences. Muddy, grayish-colored water pooled in the parking lot and ran in rivulets to the road below. A lifeguard station at one end of the beach tilted precariously toward the water; steps that weeks before led from the boardwalk down onto the beach dropped off into choppy waves Sunday. Palm Beach County's erosion was most noticeable in areas north of Juno Beach. A resident who has lived at Ocean Trail in Jupiter for almost 30 years said weekend waves were some of the worst she has seen. Lifeguards flew a red flag for extreme waves Sunday, but surfers and strong swimmers still made their way out to the water. The waves washed sea turtle eggs from their nesting site on the beach into the grass over the seawall. Bathtub Reef Beach is susceptible to erosion because of its rocky shoreline and reefs. Large waves and strong winds blowing in just the right direction can devastate the area and the recent erosion is THE WORST IN DECADES. (photos)

9/30/07 -
FLORIDA - High winds were expected today and warnings were out about possible flooding on the east coast of Central Florida. Forecasters are expecting high winds and massive waves anywhere from 8 to 10 feet high. The high waves could mean more beach erosion is on the way. Beach patrol said they have concerns for next weekend. They said the high wave action this weekend might change the makeup of the sand underneath the water and could create dangerous rip currents for the following week.

PHILIPPINES - 1 died, 3 survived as waves hit boat in Manila Bay - A fisherman died, while three others survived after huge waves struck their boat sailing near the Manila International Container Terminal Port on Saturday afternoon. The four fishermen were about to sail from Manila Bay when big waves hit their boat.

9/24/07 -
SCOTLAND - More than 10,000 of the most important ancient and historical sites around Scotland's coastline are at risk of being destroyed by the storms and rising sea levels that will come with global warming. Sites in jeopardy include the neolithic settlement of Skara Brae on Orkney and the prehistoric ruins at Jarlshof on Shetland. Others under threat range from Viking burial boats to Iron Age brochs and Mesolithic middens. New surveys for Historic Scotland reveal that the remains of communities up to 9000 years old could be lost forever due to accelerating coastal erosion. The potential loss is incalculable and has alarmed experts. "While people argue over whether climate change is leading to sea level rise and an increase in stormy weather, the coast continues to erode. Although wildlife and the natural habitat may be able to recover, ancient sites will be destroyed forever, and the remnants of our ancestors will be lost."

INDIA - On Sunday all vehicular traffic was prohibited in Puri along the marine drive road link from Hotel Dreamland towards the Sterling resorts following the wash out of the road by tidal sea waves. About one-and-a-half kilometers of the newly built road is being eroded out every day by huge tidal sea waves, particularly during the full moon and no moon days, reducing the width of the road. Although the authorities were busy piling sand bags and planting bushes along the roadsides to prevent damage, the sea has often been shifting its attack from one place to another. The hotel and apartment owners alongside the marine drive are now spending sleepless nights during the high tide periods. (photo)

9/23/07 -
SOUTH AFRICA - Coastal areas in KwaZulu-Natal are bracing themselves for high waves and strong winds ahead of the Spring equinox today. The South African Weather Service says the expected increase in the wave height along the province's coastline is cause for concern. High waves caused severe damage along the KZN coast at the time of the Autumn equinox in March this year. Over the next three days temperatures are expected to drop and wind speed will pick up. "The swells will increase. What's going to happen is that as the big south west comes through it will pick up the swell size initially two and a half to three metres and overnight into Monday increasing it to between three and four metres coupled with very rough seas. I think it's a call for concern in terms of people being cautious along the beach. I don't know in terms of how it will affect parts of the coastline but swells are obviously going to increase causing bigger waves and probably breaking further along the shore."

Rising seas likely to flood U.S. history - Ultimately, rising seas will likely swamp the first American settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, as well as the Florida launch pad that sent the first American into orbit, many climate scientists are predicting. In about a century, some of the places that make America what it is may be slowly erased. Global warming — through a combination of melting glaciers, disappearing ice sheets and warmer waters expanding — is expected to cause oceans to rise by one meter, or about 39 inches. It will happen regardless of any future actions to curb greenhouse gases, several leading scientists say. And it will reshape the nation. Rising waters will lap at the foundations of old money Wall Street and the new money towers of Silicon Valley. They will swamp the locations of big city airports and major interstate highways. Some scientists believe it could happen in 50 years, others say 100, and still others say 150. "We're going to get a meter and there's nothing we can do about it. It's going to happen no matter what — the question is when." Protecting America's coastlines would run well into the billions and not all spots could be saved. "We're going to be into this big national debate about what we protect and at what cost." Even a scientist often quoted by global warming skeptics says he figures the seas will rise at least 16 inches by the end of the century. But he tells people to prepare for a rise of about three feet just in case. It's "not unreasonable at all" to expect that much in 100 years. "We've had a third of a meter in the last century." The change will be a gradual process, one that is so slow it will be easy to ignore - for a while. "Sea level rise is going to have more general impact to the population and the infrastructure than almost anything else that I can think of."

AUSTRALIA - There are bleak predictions about the impact of climate change on the future of Australia's tropical birds. Scientists are warning that sea levels in northern Australia are already rising by around eight millimetres a year, so fast that salt water could flood thousands of kilometres of pristine wetland. That would destroy vast areas of tropical bird habitat, putting 66 species at risk of extinction. At greatest risk are birds with the smallest range that have nowhere left to go, as well as water birds from magpie geese, to ducks, herons, ibis and egrets. "Within sort of three generations of the bird you could see a 50, 70 per cent decline. We really don't know how fast it's going to happen, but it's so flat, and you could imagine that a few big tides could kill off large areas of suitable habitat and the birds simply wouldn't find food." Within 30 years, up to 66 species could be threatened in wetlands, rainforests and grassland savannas. Already in the Top End, saltwater incursion is destroying wetland areas near Kakadu National Park. Rising salinity will only destroy more trees and mangroves, leaving a wasteland of salt and mud. Sea levels in Northern Australia could rise by 70 centimetres in the next century, wreaking devastation further and further inland. "As the sea level rise occurs, the tidal wedge - that's the amount of water that actually moves upstream driven by the tide - will get further and further inland, and the proportion of salt that it's mixing into the freshwater from the river will become greater and greater, so the salt levels will rise." Australia's National Tidal Facility has measured water movements for decades. Its research shows sea levels across northern Australia are rising four times faster than the global average. Scientists do not know why northern Australia is seeing a faster sea level rise.

FREAK WAVES / HIGH TIDES -
9/6/07 -
VIETNAM - Broken dykes and river levees on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City have worsened the inner-city flooding that usually occurs at this time of the year. Heavy rain and FREAK TIDES on August 31 damaged, and in some cases destroyed, entire sections of retaining banks and walls along the Saigon River. In one case, the tide rose to 1.35 meters at the Phu An station in District 1, way above the normal level for this time of year.

9/4/07 -
INDONESIA - Six people were still missing Sunday off Citepus Beach in Sukabumi, West Java, after high waves forced a search and rescue team to suspend operations. The six people went missing Saturday after being swept out to sea by FREAK WAVES. Another person is known to have died in the incident.

9/2/07 -
INDONESIA - Two ships, including one from Singapore, ran aground Saturday off the coast of Cilacap in Central Java. The ships were en route to Pelabuhan Tanjung Intan in Cilacap from South Kalimantan, but high seas caused them to run aground before reaching their destination. Efforts to push the ships back out to sea have been unsuccessful since Saturday morning due to rough conditions.

AUSTRALIA - the shoreline north of Sydney was suddenly transformed into the Cappuccino Coast on August 27. Foam swallowed an entire beach and half the nearby buildings, including the local lifeguards' centre, in a FREAK display of nature at Yamba in New South Wales. Storms off the New South Wales Coast and further north off Queensland had created a huge disturbance in the ocean, hitting a stretch of water where there was a particularly high amount of the substances which form into bubbles. One minute a group of teenage surfers were waiting to catch a wave, the next they were swallowed up in a giant bubble bath. The foam was so light that they could puff it out of their hands and watch it float away. It stretched for 30 miles out into the Pacific in a phenomenon NOT SEEN AT THE BEACH FOR MORE THAN THREE DECADES. The foam is created by impurities in the ocean, such as salts, chemicals, dead plants, decomposed fish and excretions from seaweed. All are churned up together by powerful currents which cause the water to form bubbles. These bubbles stick to each other as they are carried below the surface by the current towards the shore. As a wave starts to form on the surface, the motion of the water causes the bubbles to swirl upwards and, massed together, they become foam. The foam "surfs" towards shore until the wave "crashes", tossing the foam into the air. (crazy photos)

8/27/07 -
SOUTH AFRICA - Sweeping, foam capped waves smashing into already devastated beaches and coastal properties - that is what KwaZulu-Natal authorities are bracing themselves for with massive plans to prevent another coastal wave disaster. Coastal engineers, municipalities, together with department of agriculture and environmental affairs scientists are preparing for another onslaught from Mother Nature. Celestial conditions mimicking March's devastating equinox coupled with high tides is again expected this September, and officials are not taking any chances. Although there are two equinoxes each year (March 20 and September 22), it's the celestial events coupled with bad weather and spring high tides that could see monster waves being created. "In terms of preparedness and awareness, the department and other listed stakeholders have been working on this since March this year." Municipalities devastated by almost three days of FREAK WAVE activity in March have now warned of the financial ruin they could face if storm activity combines with the September equinox during high tides. "We are trying to stabilise the situation. We think it will be fairly quiet provided the sea behaves, but if there is a sea storm or cold front at the same time we could see more erosion." Further south the Ugu District Municipality, which had a R113-million hole knocked into its budget by the waves, says it is monitoring the situation. More erosion and damage has also been reported in the Margate and Park Rynie areas. "We are aware of the expected Equinox but at the moment we can only monitor and observe the situation. We know that the ocean is unstable and previous damage to the coastline proves that. All necessary precautions will be taken." KwaDukuza disaster management officials have adopted a wait and see attitude after private and municipal infrastructure valued at more than R1 billion was swept away in March. The head of disaster management said he hoped that the "perfect storm" conditions were not repeated in September. "Yes, we are going to get high seas and with the frontal dunes not being there the water will sweep higher. Facilities are more exposed and there is no protection. People have protected where they have had to, but thus far there has been no major construction mainly because of the environmental authorisation needed. "We will monitor it and hope it does not happen, but we say this now, and tomorrow it happens."

8/20/07 -
SRI LANKA - Caught in surging waves in rough sea amid a fresh low over the Bay of Bengal, two ships with cargo capsized off the Chittagong seaport while another ran aground in Barisal Saturday. Twelve crewmen were rescued by trawlers and boats. “Port’s two tugboats tried to locate the sunken ship several times, but failed due to stormy weather.” A Dhaka-bound oil tanker, carrying 13,000 tonnes of fuel oil, also sank in the Sandwip Channel at noon as the calamitous weather conditions continued to prevail. Port tugboats rescued all the 12 crew. Meanwhile, another oil tanker got caught in strong wind and ran aground at Ramdaspur in southern Barisal district early in the morning. It got stranded on a shoal at about 5am. The lighter ship could not be salvaged until evening. Thirteen crewmen of the ship were rescued by a port rescue team.

8/14/07 -
INDIA - At least 13 houses were washed away and three more houses damaged under the impact of high tidal waves in Podampeta, a sea-side village in Ganjam district. The powerful waves lashed the village inhabited mostly by fishermen during the last two days. Alarmed over another depression formed over the Bay of Bengal, the district administration asked the fishermen families residing very close to the sea to shift to the nearby cyclone shelter.

8/13/07 -
TASMANIA - Retreating floodwaters have revealed a massive clean-up challenge for towns. The tiny North-East town of Branxholm was one of the hardest hit, with the State Emergency Service reporting 40 homes had to be evacuated. Of those, 26 were inundated, causing damage. Four families at nearby Derby had to take refuge with friends and family. At Forth, in the North-West, eight houses were evacuated. Businesses in Huonville in the South began mopping out their shopfronts after FREAK TIDES and the rising Huon River inundated the town on Friday. As the threat eased, many returned home to a sea of water. Others saw bizarre sights, with broccoli washing up on Turners Beach from a vegetable farm at Forth. In some regions, the floods reached one-in-100-year levels.

ALGERIA - Ten days after the sinking of 12 vacationers in Mostaganem, local authorities have not lifted a finger to unveil the facts, and media are promoting a “micro-tsunami” whose reasons are still unknown. The Civil Protection Regional Department made it clear that “dead in the incident taking place last Friday, August 3rd 2007 are estimated at 12; and 126 have been rescued from a genuine death danger who swam in uncontrolled beaches.” This mere clarification, ten days after the incident that took 12 lives, has not dissipated widespread rumors that mention a seven-to-ten-meter wave that washed away many people. The odd thing is that the “Huge” wave has chosen to affect only people, not anything else, as civil protection services have recorded no property damages.

UNITED KINGDOM - An island community in Orkney could be split in two, unless urgent repairs are made to damaged sea defences. That's the warning from islanders in Sanday where there's growing concern about the time it's taking to sort out the problem. It's a dismal sight - saturated farm land lies under water, fences are strewn with rotting seaweed and a farm road is left all but impassable by the flooding. And it's been like this for many months now. Earlier this year a big tide and a severe storm combined to blast away the sea defences that once stood here. The community's been calling for action ever since and says repairs are now urgently needed. At some points the island is less than a mile wide and the big concern is the potential impact if there's a repeat of the conditions that wrecked the sea defences. "If you look back far enough in history you'll find that Sanday was originally several islands that have become joined together over the centuries by the gaps between them silting up with sand. What seems to be happening now is that the reverse is taking place and the sand is being washed out again." Back in the 1950s that almost happened. "It came a heavy northerly gale and an extremely high tide, and it breached the foreshore at the black wall and broke through, cut the island very nearly in two." (photo)

8/7/07 -
SCOTLAND - Police warn risk-takers as three die in 'unpredictable' Scottish waters - Two members of the same family were swept to their deaths by a giant wave as they clambered onto rocks to take photographs. In a separate incident, another man drowned after he went swimming in Loch Lomond in early Sunday morning. "We would advise people not to take risks around the coastline as the waves and weather can be very unpredictable." The two deaths take the toll of drowning in the area to six in the space of just ten weeks.

8/6/07 -
INDIA - The sea continued to be turbulent in Kanyakumari and Rameswaram coasts for the third day Sunday. The waves were quite high and pilgrims were not allowed to enter at Dhanushkodi point, officials said. The body of a 19-year-old engineering college student, who drowned in the sea following high waves Saturday, was washed ashore yesterday.

8/5/07 -
INDIA - Seawater ingress in some parts of Marina on Friday gave anxious moments to the visitors to the beach. According to eyewitnesses, tidal waves swept beyond the shore in the afternoon, creating a scare. The tidal wave activity contributed to the pond of rainwater on the shore opposite Vivekananda Illam. The sea is usually rough during the full and new moon period. Fishermen said the sea had been rough for nearly five days and it made them jobless and kept their boats and nets idle. Fishermen along the Marina coast in Nochikuppam, Doomingkuppam, Mullaimanagar and Srinivasapuram were affected. Regional Meteorological Centre officials said no earthquake was recorded anywhere near the Indian coastal waters.
The high tidal waves were reported on Friday along Tamil Nadu's coast, but the weather office said they were "normal" as there was no significant weather phenomenon over the Bay of Bengal. As the waters were rough and the surging waves reached a height of seven feet, fishermen stayed away from the sea. In the tourist town of Kanniyakumari, boat services to the Vivekananda memorial rock and the 133-foot Tiruvallavur statue were suspended in the wake of high tidal waves. About 300 tourists stranded at both sites were safely brought ashore. Officials at the Met office said that the waves were caused by an increase in wind speed.

WASHINGTON - the captain of a whale-watching boat has seen rogue waves in his long tour-boat career, but none like the set that slammed into his boat on Thursday. Three surprise waves hit the vessel in a fog bank. The waves left four passengers slightly injured and a window broken over the bow.

8/3/07 -
CHINA - At least 11 people were missing after a tidal current in southeastern China swept more than 30 people out to sea. Twenty-two people were rescued after the tide rushed up the mouth of the Qiantang River on the outskirts of Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province. The victims had either been swimming in the river or walking along a levee when the tide hit. Rescue efforts had continued into the night. The Qiantang's trumpet-shaped mouth makes dangerously large tides as water rushes up the mouth of the river. Tourists often travel to witness the tides, and accidents are not uncommon. The deadliest accident there occurred in 1993, when a tide swept 86 people away, killing 19 and leaving 40 missing.

SOUTH AFRICA - Relentless waves battering coastal resort - Earlier this week, two swimming pools on the front lawn collapsed into the sea. They have dismantled wooden decks, pulled up trampolines and other holiday amenities, but now the sea has reached the resort's front doors. Two nights ago the waves knocked down the front wall of the bar and diningroom area and undermined the foundations of a newly refurbished block of 16 chalets. "What can I say? We are in the middle of a nightmare, and the sea just has no mercy." About two months ago, they had begun to notice that the 70m-wide strip of beach in front of the resort was getting thinner. "The March 19 storm stripped away the sandbank and now there is nothing to stop the waves. During the spring high tide about two weeks ago the waves really started to wreak havoc. The beach just got narrower and narrower and the sea started to whack us fast and furious." Contractors and staff had been working until 9pm during the past few nights to pile sandbags in front of the resort.

SCOTLAND - a man has been killed after being swept out to sea while fishing on rocks off the coast of Scotland on Monday. He had been fishing at Kilmaluag Bay near Staffin when he was swept off the rocks by a freak wave.

GEORGIA - At St. Simons Island the water is taking away sand as it washes against the shore. Erosion has slowly eaten away at the beach near the Myrtle Street access point. "There's not much of it left. Our beach time gets shorter and shorter every day (with encroaching tides)." While the beach has gotten smaller, the sandbar located slightly off shore near the King and Prince has increased in size thanks to eroded sand. "The sandbar is getting bigger, but if we get some bad weather like a hurricane, it would disappear pretty fast." "The beach is smaller now, but hopefully the sand will flow back. A year ago I could sit out on the beach (near the Myrtle Street entrance) at high tide, but now I have to stay behind the rocks (that provide a buffer between the beach and properties behind them)."

8/2/07 -
AUSTRALIA - Seas swamping Australian islands - Roads have been swallowed whole, buildings washed out, graveyards swamped and houses flooded in six of the most vulnerable low-lying island communities. Authorities have ordered evacuation and relocation plans for more than 2000 people who face losing their land and livelihood from the invading sea. "These islands are sinking." Scientists predict warmer sea temperatures (thermal expansion) and the melting of the ice caps will contribute to a sea-level rise of between 9cm and 88cm in the next 50 years. Some parts of the most vulnerable islands – Masig (Yorke), Poruma (Coconut), Warraber, Yam, Saibai and Boigu – are today less than 1m above sea level. "It is a big change, and it seems to be getting worse in the past two years or so." There is the possibility of more frequent extreme events, like storm surge and high tides, causing the water to come up higher on to the land.

7/30/07 -
INDIA - Waves crashing against the shore is nothing new for the inhabitants of two of Orissa's seaside tourist resorts - Puri and Gopalpur. But what they have been witnessing for the last few months has come as a shock. "The sea has been behaving in an UNNATURAL manner with high waves lashing against the coast and damaging structures. It seems the sea is inching inside." While the sea waves have washed away nearly 500 metres of a newly-constructed road on the outskirts of Puri, several walls of hotels and a lighthouse at Gopalpur, down south in Ganjam district, have collapsed under the pounding of the sea. "I have been observing this phenomenon since August last year, but no action has been initiated about it." There have been reports about the Bay of Bengal eroding the coast in the Satbhaya area of Kendrapara district and swallowing up at least five of the seven coastal villages in a cluster over the last few years. However, this was something new in towns like Puri and Gopalpur where the administration is monitoring the situation with concern. A study conducted recently said that 23% of India's shoreline was getting eroded with four states - Maharashtra, Orissa, Karnataka and Kerala - being the worst affected. In Orissa, over 100 km out of the state's 480-km coastline was facing erosion while the problem was more acute in Kerala. It also said that the growth of long sand pits at the Chilika Lagoon on the coast indicated littoral movement and subsequent silt deposition. Within the last fortnight, the sea has devoured a large portion of the road in Puri linking Baliapanda with Sipasarubali - where a tourist resort is proposed to be developed - causing panic among the inhabitants. The road had been constructed recently, even as new buildings, apartment blocks and hotels were coming up in the areas as the resort town was expanding. Six new buildings are now facing direct threat from the sea. Grave concern was expressed about the situation in Penthakata area of the town where a population of about 20,000 fishermen are living virtually on the edge of the sea.

7/25/07 -
INDONESIA will be susceptible to raging giant waves, ranging form 2.5 meters to 5 meters high, until July 28. Giant waves have been hitting certain parts of the country since last Saturday (7/21) and they are predicted to continue raging until this Saturday. The giant waves hit the waters west of Aceh, in the Indian Ocean west of Bengkulu and Lampung, in the Indian Ocean south of Java island, in the Java Sea, southern parts of Karimata strait, Masalembo waters, Southeast Sulawesi waters, South Sulawesi waters, the Indian Ocean south of Bali and Nusa Tenggara. The giant waves also hit the Bali Sea, Flores Sea, Sawu Sea, Rote strait, Fak Fak strait, Arafura and Merauke Seas. The wind was blowing from the east to southeast at a speed of 28-40 km per hour and the giant waves are a real threat to all kinds of ships. The giant waves may still hit several parts of Indonesia and in the Indian Ocean south of Java Island.

SOUTH AFRICA - The "No entry" sign has gone up at Amanzimtoti's premier tourist attraction; the Main Beach, where the sea has reclaimed 50m of the beach and the breaking waves have caused extensive damage to the promenade's retaining walls. And, as a delegation of city officials and engineers were inspecting the devastation at the beach on Friday, where tons of sand have also been displaced, the verandah at the lifeguard tower - already damaged by the pounding waves - gave way, prompting immediate precautionary measures to be taken to secure the building. Rocks were quickly brought in to halt further damage and wire netting and the "no entry" sign replaced the red tape already strung across the promenade to prevent the public going down on to what is left of the popular beach. About R4-million of damage was caused to both the Inyoni Rocks and Winklespruit swimming pools during March's FREAK WAVE wave action, which caused billions of rands of damage at various beaches along the coastline. Both pools have yet to be repaired. A 200m-long stretch of Toti's Main Beach had been lost and the waves, particularly the high tides of recent weeks which peaked last Monday, damaged the promenade's retaining walls, the showers and lifeguard tower. After the verandah collapsed, "immediate action had to be taken to save what was still there". Experts generally agreed that the latest problem was a ripple effect of the UNUSUALLY large tides in March. "What has happened is that the protective banks have moved out to sea. And where the big waves normally broke about 100m out at sea, they are now breaking on the shore." This has affected the shoreline at different beaches. On the South Coast, 50m of a private beach at the Happy Wanderers Holiday Resort in Kelso has also been lost to the sea. The wild waves broke the resort's large beachfront swimming pool and have "whacked" the windows of the pub, forcing the owners to close the pub and adjoining restaurant. An expert on sea currents has advised the owners on where to put sandbags and how high they must be. The owners said that while the resort had minimal damage in March, the waves had got worse over the past six weeks. They had even lost as much as 4.5m of coast in a day and a half. They fear that if things get worse, "the railway line near us will go".

7/23/07 -
MICHIGAN - The search for a child who was swimming in Lake Michigan ended Friday. The boy disappeared in the water off Douglas Beach. The father tells investigators that he and his three sons were swimming in Lake Michigan when a large wave hit them. Two of the boys resurfaced and one did not. The United States Coast Guard says, at times, waves were up to 8 feet high as they searched for the boy. Closer to shore, conditions weren't much better. Rescue divers had to fight high waves, strong winds, and rip currents. The US Coast Guard says people underestimate the power of Lake Michigan. When the waves get big, it's best to stay out. The coast guard says the water got so rough that night that several boats had to turn around and head back in. The Lake Express ferry in Muskegon also canceled it's evening run, stranding passengers in Milwaukee.

7/18/07 -
INDIA - Rapid sea invasion along the Gujarat coast is forcing families of fishermen to abandon the sea and their homes. Danti in Valsad district of Gujarat is being invaded. More than half the residents of this sleepy fishing village have fled already. The sea they revere has swallowed up the village and is making them beat a retreat every year. Only the poorest remain on the edge of the village, with just a sea wall for protection. On one side of the wall are lashing waves. On the other are ramshackle, makeshift huts. No one here has permanent brick homes. They have to rebuild every year after the waters rush in over the wall. "We have moved back three kilometres in the last 20 years. Our original village was out there. You can't even see it now. Three village wells have been submerged. We've relocated the school thrice." Sandwiched as they are between the sea and the saltpans, there is not much further they can retreat. During low tide, the beach is a hive of activity. Families are hard at work, trying to salvage bricks from the ruins of their old homes. "When the water comes in every monsoon, it's knee-high. We have to put our kids on the roof in the pouring rain. We don't have the money to buy land and move out, so we remain here." "The fish have gone further into the sea because of [industrial] pollution. And the water has come further in; so we have suffered. We can't go very far in our tiny boats. We used to get 400 to 600 fish in one night. Now we barely get a hundred." The villagers along the coast are not sure why the sea is advancing at such a voracious pace. Some fishermen guessed it might be "because there are more storms in the sea". One of the reasons could be a rise in sea level owing to global warming. The contours of Gujarat's coast are changing. "Preliminary observations reveal that the seawater has shifted in by 10-15 metres in 10 years, and at places it has moved around 80 metres horizontally." Several places along India's 7,500 km-long coastline are experiencing similar erosion. In the Sunderbans, two islands have already vanished from the map, displacing 7,000 people. Twelve more islands are likely to go under owing to an annual 3.14 mm sea level rise, which will make 70,000 people refugees. Five villages in Orissa's Bhitarkanika National Park, famous for the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles, have been submerged, and 18 others are likely to go under. (photos)

7/15/07 -
INDONESIA - The Transportation Minister warned Thursday that huge waves, in excess of six meters, would continue until August. The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency attributed the huge waves to tropical cyclone Man Yi, which is expected to affect several regions in the country. Waves are predicted to crash onto eastern shores near the Seram, Aru and Arafuru seas, the Fak Fak and Merauke coasts and most of Maluku. In the waters off South Sulawesi, rescuers were still searching for 25 ship passengers missing since their boat capsized on Wednesday night, while in Maluku more teams have joined the search for 23 passengers three days after their boat sank in rough water. So far, 35 survivors have been plucked from the sea.

IRELAND - A leading American rock climber is feared dead after falling into the sea while climbing on the south west coast of Ireland. He plunged into the sea while climbing with friends north of Valentia Island in Co Kerry on Friday evening. A team of divers was called in to search the sea bed for him after reports he had been hit by a FREAK WAVE and swept out to sea. He has been one of the leading exponents of free solo climbing – shunning the use of ropes or other safety equipment when climbing up sheer rock faces or buildings to great heights. Despite searches by the local lifeboat, Shannon search and rescue helicopter, coastguards, cliff rescue teams and local people, there has been no sighting of him. The Valentia Coastguard said the scene of the fall was a very unusual place for rock-climbing.

7/13/07 -
INDONESIA - A number of survivors of the sunken passenger ship KM Wahai Star were still floating in the sea as rescue efforts were hampered by huge waves on Thursday. “We were sad to know that they were still floating in the sea. We tried to approach them but could not make it as our rescue tanker was hit by the high waves.” The waves reached 4-meters high. The tanker has so far evacuated 29 people including two dead bodies from the sea. The passenger boat was in its regular voyage from Buru island to Ambon, the capital city of Maluku, at around midnight on Wednesday, when it had an engine breakdown. About 60 people, including 17 crew members, were recorded on board the ill-fated ship. However, Ambon crisis center said that more than 100 people were reportedly missing by their families and relatives. It is a common practice here that passengers often take public transportation without buying tickets, therefore their names do not exist in the passenger list.

7/12/07 -
PHILIPPINES - Rescue teams and the Coast Guard office in Surigao del Sur are readying transport of passengers of a stranded vessel caught by huge waves off the Surigao strait at 8 a.m. Wednesday. According to radio reports, the engines of the vessel MV Shuttle Ferry Queen malfunctioned after huge waves clogged its mechanisms, causing it to stop right in the middle of the strait. The vessel had just come from Leyte and was headed to Lipanta, Surigao del Sur when they were caught by the huge waves caused by the tropical storm "Bebeng" [Man-yi]. This came even as a pumpboat carrying nine passengers sank after hitting a piece of wood also at the Surigao strait sometime Wednesday afternoon. The Coast Guard said eight of the nine passengers were rescued while one passenger went missing.

BRITAIN - A teenager washed out to sea by strong tides died Sunday night, July 8th, after a 90-minute rescue operation. The 15-year-old boy was taking part in a Tamil Festival when he was swept away in notoriously dangerous waters. An RAF Sea King helicopter managed to find the youngster and winch him to safety still alive at Wells harbour, north Norfolk. But by then he had been in the water for too long and was suffering from severe hypothermia. He died several hours later in hospital. An 11-year-old boy washed out with him was rescued unhurt. The drama unfolded at 4:30pm following reports that two youngsters had been caught up in the deadly fast-running tides. The boy of 11 was quickly pulled to safety by swimmers on the beach. But the older boy was carried out by the strong currents that can move faster than walking pace. Eleven years ago a six-year-old and her four-year-old brother were drowned when they were trapped by the tide at nearby Hunstanton. Coastguards constantly warn trippers about fast-running tides in the area which can quickly drag people out to sea.

7/8/07 -
INDIA - Violent tidal waves have been battering the coastlines of Kanyakumari district in the southern tip of India lately, with 4 people dead and more than 50 fishing boats destroyed. Along the coast the gushing sea waves continued to pound about 24 villages. The villagers are living in fear of the the rising waves that have been creeping into the beach, destroying houses, property, unearthing coconut trees and gobbling nearby land. "We live in fear every day because the waves continue to push itself inland and we don't know why this is happening." Fishermen in the village have not gone fishing for months because of the rough seas. "We don't know how to explain this (regular rising tidal waves)." 69 out of 360 houses have been completely destroyed recently. During the peak Indian southwest monsoon, which falls between June and July, the tides lap deeper inland, causing more danger to the unprotected villagers. The rising sea waves have become a regular phenomenon, more frequent since the Indonesian tsunami in 2004. That tsunami killed almost 800 people in this part of the country. "I suspect after the tsunami, there are some changes at the sea bottom." Panic-stricken villagers are baffled about the UNUSUAL rising tidal waves, while marine scientists have yet to establish the reason for this RARE phenomenon in this coastal area. It is worse this year compared to last year.

Australian researchers have studied and documented the effect of the RARE "sundried tide", a force of nature that can silently wipe out coral reefs. Extreme low tides on clear sunny days can lead to widespread damage of coastal coral colonies. "Really low tides, where the local sea level gets to its extreme low for the year, can occur at different times of the day. In years where this occurs during the middle of the day when the sunlight is at its most intense and the reefs are almost fully exposed, there is a real risk of severe coral stress and death in the shallow reef zone." Just like cyclones and other natural disasters, these severe ‘sun-dry tides' rarely occur since they rely on the alignment of numerous natural extremes. However, when these factors all align, by a combination of sun, moon and chance weather, an extreme event occurs which could leave coral colonies bleached and devastated. One such event occurred in September 2005 and was the worst in the eight-year record. "These events are highly predictable. We can go into the weather reports, align them with tidal charts and predict the times of greatest risk. The high-risk time of year is July–October, when corals are building up resources for spawning and preparing for summer stressors such as thermal bleaching."

7/6/07 -
INDIA - Battering waves bit off a large portion of the beach road at Sanghumugham on Wednesday after which panic-stricken local people set up road-blocks demanding prompt government action. Over the past few days, the waves had swallowed the Sanghumugham beach and half of the west lane of the road, forcing the authorities to fence off the side adjacent to the sea. “This is the first time in years that the sea has pushed its way in so much.” The large fishing craft, usually rested on the beach, have been dragged well inland, for fear of the sea lapping them up. Some have been dragged further inland, even up to the compound of a nearby Church. A huge concrete pipe, part of a sewerage until Wednesday morning, lies half in the waves. The beach is completely gone, and the sea has now come up to the road. Only a few feet on the other side, are houses and shops. Further south, beyond the road, the situation is worse. “There, houses are flush against the sea. We’ve moved several families to the relief camps. One two-storeyed house developed a large crack today.” But some families have simply refused to move, on the vague hope that the sea would not come further. “They keep vigil throughout the night."

FLORIDA - Daytona Beach's Fourth of July celebration was literally washed out. Huge waves crashed over the barge that launches the fireworks and drenched the entire display, just minutes before the show was supposed to start. Rain and strong winds also forced event organizers in Flagler Beach to cancel most of the city's Fabulous Fourth event.

7/3/07 -
MEXICO - a U.S. teenager on a mission trip in Mexico has gone missing after a day at the beach. He was in Zihuantenejo with other members of Lexington Presbyterian Church, including his father, helping to build homes. He was apparently knocked unconscious by a series of waves. The other members of the team weren't able to get to him before the waters swept him away because it was so rough.

7/2/07 -
INDIA - On Friday, the 29th, huge waves crashed against the coast, submerging at least two seaside villages and affecting around 200 families. Under the impact of the deep depression formed over northwest Bay of Bengal, huge sea waves inundated two villages under Satbhaya panchayat of Kendrapara district. Ten to 12 feet high waves, churned up by strong winds, marooned Kanhupur and Satbhaya villages damaging several houses including a primary school building. The sea eroded several feet of land towards the village, submerging the 1200-year-old Panchubarahi temple and two bore wells in the locality. The majority of the people had taken shelter on a large sand dune and the nearby panchayat building while some had shifted to a neighbouring village. The area remained cut-off because of the inundation. Though there were a cluster of seven villages in the panchayat, five of them had been decimated by the sea over the last few decades. Damages were also reported from the port township of Paradip as scores of houses had been badly affected. Strong wind flattened some of the dwellings while scores of trees had been uprooted.

IRELAND - A 24-year-old man has died in a fishing accident off the coast of Co Clare. He was part of a group of four men that went fishing in the Blue Pool area of Doonbeg. It is thought that a wave swept the man off the rocks. The coastguard has said weather conditions in the area at the time were poor and the area is notorious for FREAK WAVES.

6/29/07 -
AUSTRALIA - Efforts were underway to evacuate hundreds of residents as a king tide threatens to further swamp a flooded town on Victoria's southeast coast. "With the expected high tide and the volume of flood waters running down into the Gippsland Lakes area, we believe it's prudent for them to leave now while they are able to in safety, rather than in the middle of the night when it will be much more dangerous and difficult." While most rivers swollen in recent rains had peaked and begun to recede, the waters now draining into the Gippsland Lakes region would be met by the expected high tide tonight. "In effect, the high tide is going to hold these waters in. They will have no chance to be released into the ocean and this could seriously affect a number of properties over a substantial area and potentially exacerbate the flooding situation."

6/25/07 -
MALAYSIA - On Tuesday, UNUSUALLY strong winds wreaked havoc in Penang and parts of Kedah, toppling trees, blowing off roofs, capsizing boats and forcing four flights to be diverted from the international airport in Bayan Lepas. The winds peaked at Bayan Lepas at 43 knots per hour while it reached 32 knots per hour in Alor Star. The normal wind speed at these places is between five and 20 knots per hour. Giant waves of up to 2m high hit the sea wall at the Esplanade in George Town before pounding onto cars parked along the road. Some tiles and a metal railing along the sea wall were dislodged by the might of the waves. A 10m stretch of the concrete path near the Astaka Medan Renong food court there was broken by the pounding waves. At Pantai Bersih in Butterworth, fishermen said 3m-high waves caused more destruction than the 2004 tsunami, with 14 boats damaged compared to one during the tsunami. At least four of the five restaurants along the beach were damaged by the waves. In Kedah, five fishermen from a boat that capsized 2km off Tanjung Dawai were rescued, while two more fishermen had to be rescued from a capsized fishing boat off Batu Ferringhi on Penang island. (photos)

MALDIVES - Last week was the second time in six weeks the Maldives has experienced extensive flooding. Sea wall defences, constructed for millions of dollars, have been destroyed on islands in both cases. And on Wednesday, the 20th, the entire population of seventy three islanders on Hathifushi in Haa Daal had to be evacuated. High seas and rains flooded over thirty islands in the north of the Maldives in three days, the affected atolls have reported no further flooding since Thursday. Every inhabited island in Haa Aliff was flooded at some point last week. Raa is the most recently effected atoll with eight islands flooded on Thursday by rainwater alone, without waves breaking onto the islands.

6/21/07 -
MALAYSIA - As the people of Penang cleaned up after a freak storm on Tuesday, residents at this fishing village felt the wrath of tidal waves across a one-kilometre stretch of coastline yesterday. The strong winds began at 10pm and broke into a storm at midnight. The villagers, who earn their living as traditional fishermen, had barely recovered their losses after the last floods and now had to put up with another disaster. One of the victims had depleted her savings rebuilding her kitchen after it was washed away in floods in December last year. Since wood is expensive, she made do with recycled wooden planks, taking three months to reconstruct the cubicle-sized kitchen and replace the gas stove, crockery and utensils. In the blink of an eye, her kitchen was gone once again. She was one of 30 families of Kampung Orang Asli Pontian Besar, who escaped by the skin of their teeth when the waves pummelled their homes. Her house was on stilts facing the Straits of Malacca. A decade ago their houses were not built on stilts and the village was bordered by mangrove swamps. In the past eight years, erosion has caused the entire swamp to disappear and only late last year the Drainage and Irrigation Department built a barrier to curb the erosion. "Without the swamp, our houses are directly facing the sea and there is nothing to protect us." The tidal wave struck during low-tide, which was a STRANGE PHENOMENON. "It was unexpected."

6/20/07 -
INDONESIA - The Geophysics and Meteorology warned Tuesday that a high tidal wave would hit Arafuru waters, eastern Indonesia, on Thursday and Friday. "The tidal wave could reach three to four meters high." Different pressure between northern Australia and eastern Indonesia was likely to cause the high tidal wave in Arafuru waters.

SOUTH AFRICA - The Red Bull Big Wave Africa 2007 surfing contest was postponed on Monday, the 18th. Some waves were solid 20 to 25-foot sets, but they were far from ideal for running the event. "It was really difficult out there. It was definitely the right decision not to go with the event. The waves were big, but WEIRD and coming from all directions." Tuesday morning (19 June) dawned with a marked drop in swell, to almost half the size of Monday, and the competition was called off again, in order to wait for the next storm.

6/19/07 -
INDONESIA - (last year) 7.8 quake and tsunami on July 17, 2006 - Though categorized as magnitude 7.8, the earthquake could scarcely be felt by beachgoers that afternoon. A low tide and wind-driven waves disguised the signs of receding water, so when the tsunami struck, it caught even lifeguards by surprise. That contributed to the death toll of more than 600 persons in Java, Indonesia. "The general assumption was that if you were near the coast where the earthquake took place, you would feel it and be able to run to higher ground. This event caught people by surprise and showed that it's not always that simple." The earthquake was slow rupturing, so it didn't produce strong ground shaking on Java that might have alerted people on the beach. No local warning was issued for the tsunami waves, which arrived only tens of minutes after the earthquake. Fortunately, the event took place on a Monday. Had the massive waves hit the day before, which was a major national holiday, the popular beach would have been much more crowded - and the toll higher. "Warning systems typically don't work very well for locations near earthquakes, where there are only tens of minutes between the earthquake and the tsunami's arrival." In the July 2006 Java tsunami, lifeguards did not notice the withdrawal of ocean water from the beaches because the water was receding anyway because of a normal low tide - and because of large wind-produced waves. Beyond the quiet nature of the catastrophe, scientists have discovered evidence of a 21-meter (65-foot) wave that hit a portion of the coastline near the island of Nusa Kambangan, indicating a second event that may have added to the severity of the disaster. Elsewhere along the 300 kilometers of coastline studied, the waves ranged from 5 to 7 meters (16 to 24 feet). "The runup was unusually high along one portion of the coast, too much for a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. The only explanation we could think of is that a submarine mass movement triggered by the earthquake could have added to the effect of the earthquake, given the essentially straight coastline with little room for large-scale tsunami focusing."

6/14/07 -
Global warming is speeding up ocean waves, a new study by Canadian researchers has found. Geophysicists predict that as the ocean surface warms, these so-called planetary waves should speed up. To test this theory, they modelled the changes to ocean wave patterns over the 20th and 21st centuries. They found that gigantic ocean waves, spanning hundreds of kilometres from crest to crest, had speeded as a result of global warming. 'We were really surprised at how quickly the ocean responded to temperature change.' The model further showed that by the end of the 21st century, the waves would be a further 20 to 40 per cent faster compared with pre-industrial speeds. 'We knew we'd see an effect, but we didn't think it would be significant for at least another two centuries.' The faster planetary waves will have an effect on global weather.

6/10/07 -
BAHRAIN - Tidal waves caused by the Gonu cyclone that wrecked havoc in Oman earlier this week hit several fishing villages in southern and eastern Bahrain late Friday night. Rising sea water forced fishing vessels onto the streets of Jaw and Asker in southern Bahrain and covered a large portion of the sea-front area of Maamer village in eastern Bahrain, threatening homes. Police and firefighters set-up check-points on roads leading into and out of Jaw and Asker to divert motorists after seawater reached the main road. There were no reports of injuries and damages could not be assessed immediately. The country's meteorology office had earlier predicted calm weather and tidal waves of one to two feet and said that the rise in sea levels should not be a concern and was likely to continue until Sunday. The statement did not link the tidal waves to Gonu cyclone and said that none of the neighbouring countries' meteorological offices reported unusual changes in weather over the Gulf. Many roads were reopened four hours later as the water began to recede and clean-up crews began work to remove debris.

NORTH KOREA - On March 7th a tidal wave hit Soehan Bay on the West Sea, which is bounded by Cholsan, Yongcheon and Sunchon in North Pyongan, leaving two thousand flood casualties and around one hundred dead. Many were gathering sea shells, according to several sources in North Korea who said the news was released late to cover up the damage. North Korean authorities have not informed the outside world of the tidal wave. However, the South Korean government reportedly has been apprised. Flooded regions include Dosan-ri and Bosan-ri in Yongchoen, Okok-ri in Cholsan, Shinmee Island in Sunchon, with the worst suffering in Dosan-ri in Yongchoen. The damage done by the giant wave came in a flash and was worsened by the lack of weather forecasting and early warning systems.

6/8/07 -
AUSTRALIA - Huge seas beached a 40,000 tonne coal ship off the New South Wales coast today, sparking a major rescue operation in which 22 crew members airlifted off the stricken vessel in gale force winds. Two other bulk carriers issued distress calls as 10m waves dragged them towards the coast. Officials said their anchors were holding, although one was only 1km from shore. The Pasha Bulker had been anchored off the coal port of Newcastle awaiting entry when waves and gales swept it onto a reef and Nobbys Beach. "It's getting absolutely belted at the moment, it's an amazing sight, the spray coming right over the top of this huge tanker." Plans for tugs to pull the ship out to sea were abandoned because of the rough seas. Environmentalists said they feared that if the ship broke up it would spill its fuel, causing a marine disaster. The bulk carrier Sea Confidence was dragged to within about 1km of Stockton Beach, north of Newcastle. "Now they've put their engines in full thrust and are trying to go away from the coastline and the effect of that is that it's pretty much staying in the same place." The bulk carrier Bitis also issued a call for help as it was dragged towards another beach near Newcastle. Both ships had managed to secure their anchors. Officials were concerned about another ship, the Coral Emerald, being forced toward shore. “The Coral Emerald is about three nautical miles from the shore.” Ships along the coastline were trying to sail further east to avoid beachings. The bad weather, whipped up by an intense low pressure system off the coast, is expected to worsen. "The forecast is for the weather to deteriorate with seas now at 8-10m and winds of around 40 knots." Newcastle is one of Australia's largest coal export terminals but delays in loading have resulted in ships queueing some 2-3km offshore. Newcastle Port authorities said there were 58 ships anchored offshore.
SYDNEY HARBOR - Ferry and JetCat services have been suspended due to swells up to five metres high in Sydney Harbour. Severe weather is battering the NSW coast and has produced extreme sea conditions across the mouth of the harbour where the vessels travel between Manly wharf and Circular Quay. A Sydney Ferries spokesman said the high swell would make it unsafe to negotiate the route and dangerous to berth at Manly wharf. Buses have replaced ferry services between the two destinations until harbour conditions improve.

6/6/07 -
PAKISTAN - coastal areas in Thatta went into a rain spell, and the fishermen have anchored their boats on the shores due to high tides in the sea. According to the details, Jati, Keti Bandar, Kharo Chan, Shah Bandar, Karo Ghungro, Zero Point and other areas were witnessing a rain spell that has let loose a torrential situation in the high seas, leaving the fishermen localities near the seaside shivering in fear and panic.

6/4/07 -
MALDIVES - high tidal swells and flooding that affected nearly 50% of all the populated islands two weeks ago, also affected the islands on Saturday and Sunday, June 2 & 3. They are yet another harrowing reminder that the Maldives remain highly vulnerable to the elements and to the effects of climate change. Without timely international action, the dangers for the Maldives could very well be doubled. The country is still recovering from the devastating effects of the 2004 tsunami, and the current high swells and flooding have placed additional burdens on the enormous task of post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction.

6/1/07 -
Huge waves that struck Reunion Island and coastlines across Indonesia earlier this month all originated from the same storm that occurred south of Cape Town, South Africa, and were tracked across the entire Indian Ocean for some 10,000 kilometres over a nine-day period by satellite. Waves reaching up to 11 metres devastated France's Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean when it slammed into the southern port of Saint Pierre on 12 May. Six days later waves created from the same storm measuring as high as seven metres began crashing into Indonesia coastlines from Sumatra to Bali, killing at least one person and causing some 1200 people to flee their homes. "The extreme swell systems originated from the same storm, which moved rapidly and had two main strong wind periods...the resulting waves were organised into two main swell systems that followed each other across the entire Indian Ocean, hitting Reunion Island, Mauritius, Australia and Indonesia." No official warning about the huge waves that hit Indonesia were issued. Although the waves that hit Reunion Island were forecasted, their intensity was predicted to be 20 to 30% below measurements. A global swell-tracking project is in the works. Once in place, this system will be the equivalent of deploying a global network of virtual buoys that are able to detect and track large swell systems carrying large energy from all available remote sensing measurements of waves. Each virtual buoy will have the capacity to detect and measure the wavelength and the direction of propagation as well as the height of the swell systems crossing the oceans, complementing the sea forecast models used by weather centres and allowing alarms to be raised a few hours before these devastating swells hit coasts.

5/30/07 -
CORSICA - a tourist was killed by a GIANT WAVE as FREAK WEATHER hit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica. Rescuers found the body of a 19-year-old Swiss tourist who was carried away by a powerful wave while walking on a storm-lashed beach in the north of the island on Monday. Two of the young man's companions were also swept away but managed to fight their way back to shore, despite 120-kilometre (70-mile) winds and three-metre (10-foot) waves. Violent winds, freezing fog and rain were expected to continue lashing the normally-sunny island until at least today. Two hikers froze to death - one victim, a Frenchman in his 30s found dead early Tuesday, had set off alone to find help after his hiking group was caught in freezing fog, wind and rain. His wife and two other woman companions, who managed to reach a shelter for the night, were escorted down the mountainside towards the northern town of Vivario unharmed but in a state of shock. In the same region, a Frenchwoman froze to death after being caught in the storm on a hiking trail. Injured and suffering from hypothermia, her husband managed to reach a nearby village for help but his wife was dead by the time rescuers arrived.

5/29/07 -
INDONESIA - rescue officials are searching for 11 people missing after a fishing boat was engulfed by 6m (19.59 foot) waves off the north coast of Java islands late last week. Two survivors had been found after the boat was swamped by waves on Thursday, 40km from the town. The boat had been heading to Indonesia's Kalimantan province on Borneo island.

5/27/07 -
INDONESIA - On ocean surface waves - "It seems that at least once a year, Indonesian newspapers carry reports of mysterious waves striking coastal towns and beaches... There really is no mystery to these waves. We surfers in Indonesia knew days ahead of time that on May 18, huge ocean swells, with face heights of 20 feet or even higher, would be hitting the coasts exposed to the Indian Ocean. How did we know this? First of all, the concept that ocean surface waves are caused by lunar influences is really a myth. Tides do have an effect by pushing swells around to a minor extent, and high spring tides can carry swell surges onto beaches and further inland, but ocean surface swells are generally caused by the winds of cyclonic low pressure systems. The deeper the low, the stronger the wind, and the bigger the swell it generates. Furthermore, the longer the low lasts and the longer the wind blows, and the longer the distance of ocean surface it blows across, will also have an effect on swell size. The swell that hit on May 18 was created by a sustained, massive low pressure system in the lower Indian Ocean. An interested person, such as a surfer, could see and track this system on various Internet sites such...as http://www.lajollasurf.org/images/gblind00.gif that show in color code the actual wave heights in the Indian Ocean. From this, one can easily extrapolate the size and timing of swells that will propagate across the Indian Ocean, hitting the southern coasts of exposed islands... Even as long as week before May 18, surfers across Indonesia were in a state of excitement, while fishermen and tourists remained ignorant until the swell actually hit, coinciding with a high spring tide, creating panic and fears of a deadly tsunami. The Indonesian bureau of meteorology had ample time to issue high surf alerts to coastal areas."

5/24/07 -
INDONESIA - The abnormal rise in sea-level during high-tides in the last three days has re-opened the tsunami scars of thousands on the Islands of Andaman and Nicobar. However, officials have failed to provide any concrete data regarding this. This UNUSUAL PHENOMENON has left huge heaps of sand deposited in front of houses and hotels nearby, causing problems for the people. "The coastal road is overloaded with sea sand of nearly one meter height." After getting similar reports from Phuket and Bangkok, people in tsunami hit Car Nicobar Islands feared this as an indication of another disaster, but local administration dismissed it, saying everything was normal. However, the Port Management Board Harbour Master said that there might be three main reasons - monsoon, change in the beach profile after the tsunami and the timing of tides coinciding with office timings. "This is normal after heavy monsoon as water from hilly areas mix up with seawater which raises the sea level." Normally reading of high-tides in these Islands is 1.8 to 1.9 meters but during monsoon and full moon nights, the reading goes up to 2.4 meters. In this case monsoon and full-moon came together. The waves smashed into the premises of a few restaurants along coastal areas on May 19 and 20, overturning tables and chairs. The National Institute of Ocean Technology had installed nearly 15 tide gauges across the country to measure tidal variations, but officials failed to provide any reading behind this ABNORMAL rise of tide level. "We have readings of rise in the wave height of sea but not of tides. Due to Southwest monsoon, the wave heights are higher and the beach profile of Andaman has already changed which can be the reason behind this." Apart from the changes in the beach profile, many believe that Sea Walls had prevented seawater entry in these places, thereby forcing the sea to flood other adjacent areas. Massive Sea walls have been constructed in various places of South Andaman to reclaim land, inundated by seawater after the tsunami due to tilting of the land mass. The project, Post Seismic Relaxation in Andaman and Nicobar, had already recorded a tilt of four-and-a-half metres along the North-South belt of the 572 island conglomerate in the Indian Ocean and an East-West tilt of two-and-a-half metres, explaining why most of the 1700 hectares of paddy fields in Port Blair's eastern coast were still submerged in water. People and fishermen have not ventured into the sea during the last few days, fearing another disastrous tsunami.
Mentawai Islands, off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia - Thursday, May 17 & Friday, May 18, has seen an amazing 20-25 feet plus swell hit the Mentawai Island chain. A number of surfers ventured out and scored some of the most epic barrels of their lives. "On Thursday, there was a set of at least 9 waves that were maxing 20 feet - but absolutely perfect...some of the most amazing waves I've ever seen. They were every bit of 25 feet. Just wish I had a camera! " Not everyone was so lucky though. The local villagers of Katiet were swamped by the swell which combined with a seasonal Monsoonal King Tide and has left their village under 0.5 metres of water. "This is the first time we have had so much water in the village. Normally we get a little but spend our time watching the surfers in the big waves. This time, we were too busy to watch as we were bailing out the water. " A resort owner was amazed at the size of the swell. "I've never seen anything like this first hand. The surf was massive."

SPAIN - A quiet holiday in Alicante, Spain ended in tragedy for a British couple when they were swallowed up by a FREAK WAVE, sucked out to sea and one of them drowned. It was before lunchtime on Friday, May 18, when they were walking from the water after a swim in the sea at Cala Estaca beach when a freak wave sucked them under the water and pulled them both out to sea. The woman was able to free herself from the water, however, the 21-year-old male was unable to extricate himself and tragically drowned.

5/22/07 -
Tourist beaches in Southeast Asia reopened on Monday after giant waves triggered by intense winds thousands of kilometres away crashed ashore last week, reviving memories of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The waves, which were 7 metres (23 feet) high in some areas late last week, struck large parts of Indonesia, the Maldives, Thailand and Western Australia. There was no official warning about the freakish waves that killed at least one person, damaged hundreds of homes and displaced thousands of people. Weather officials said the waves were the result of an accumulation of winds in one spot on the ocean, but were looking at why they were so intense. The phenomenon was likely caused by Kelvin waves, giant waves caused by a surge of irregular wind patterns in the Indian Ocean. It could have easily been predicted because such waves commonly occur around this time. "However, we didn't expect the waves to be of this size, that's why we need to analyse the other factors first before arriving at a conclusion." The European Space Agency said the huge waves were generated by intense storm winds in the Southern Ocean on May 8. The waves originated south of Cape Town in South Africa and travelled northeast for nearly 4,000 km (2,500 miles) over three days before slamming into Reunion Island on May 12. Using satellites, French researchers tracked the huge swell as it travelled northeast, hitting first Reunion, Madagascar, the Maldives and finally Indonesia. Initial forecasts were for waves only a couple of metres in height, but due to the large time period between swells, around 19 seconds, the intensity of the waves was much greater. Australia's big surf breaks around Margaret River in southwest Australia were pounded by waves up to 20 feet as the huge westerly swell hit the coast. Huge waves later hit Bali, washing away beachside restaurants and fishing boats. "This month there has been an ASTRONOMICALLY EXTREME PHENOMENON. The tidal waves were caused by a combination of several factors, including winds travelling at extreme speed in the Indian Ocean." (damage photos)

ICELAND - A 75 year-old woman from Pennsylvania on her fifth trip to Iceland drowned Saturday at Reynisfjara beach, South Iceland, after a large wave crashed into the shore and pulled her out to sea. Her tour group stopped at the beach for its popular scenic view looking out over the rock formations and cliffs by the sea. It is a known danger to go too far down the beach because of the massive waves that can rise up without warning and pull people out to sea. When the group arrived at the beach at 3:00pm the sea seemed relatively calm, with little risk of fatal waves coming in on the tide.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA - On Saturday, tidal waves created by the eruption of Ritter Island smashed into Kabi and Kampalap villages on the eastern part of Siassi Island, flattening four houses and sending about 10,000 local villagers fleeing to the hills for safety.

5/21/07 -
MALDIVES - the government has appealed to the international community for aid to deal with the damage caused by floods from tidal swells which began on Tuesday. The UNPRECEDENTED sea swells caused extensive flooding, inflicting damage to homes, livelihoods and infrastructure in many parts of the country since the 15th of the month. Floods caused by storm surges had affected 55 of the 197 islands in the Maldives on Tuesday, some local reports say 80. A Director of the Ministry of Atolls Development has hit out at the central government’s reaction to the recent widespread flooding, saying it shows that lessons from the tsunami have not been learnt. “We should have learnt our lessons from the December 2004 tsunami and the disaster preparedness or mitigation plans, awareness creation and training should have taken place after the period following the tsunami. Instead, what happened recently was an ad-hoc reaction to an unprecedented event.” The “usual donors” will continue to be relied upon if changes are not made. “Disaster management functions should be decentralised to the local level instead of local authorities having to go through government red-tape and bureaucracy. Communities should be taught and mobilized to be self-reliant and to be resilient in such situations.” The government’s chief spokesperson had said Tuesday’s “simultaneous flooding of 55 islands was UNPRECEDENTED...there is no record of such an event apart from the tsunami.” The government had played down the gravity of the event however, and had even claimed, “media reports of tidal waves are exaggerations…these are clearly storm surges [which] regularly happen in the Maldives at this time of year.” But following renewed floods in Gaaf Dhaal atoll on Thursday afternoon, the situation worsened and the cabinet called for assistance and they admitted “the damage is much worse than we initially thought.” "This is the SECOND BIGGEST FLOOD DISASTER IN OUR HISTORY AFTER THE TSUNAMI. Unlike the tsunami, flood waters have destroyed a lot of agricultural land. Assistance will be needed for the restoration of livelihoods." NEVER IN THE COUNTRY'S RECORDED HISTORY HAD SO MANY ISLANDS FACED FLOODING SIMULTANEOUSLY. (photo)
The people of Fares Mathoda, Gaaf Dhaal atoll, reportedly abandoned the island, which was submerged, and took to boats at around 12:30 Tuesday night, on May 15th. The Maldives Meteorological Office warned all islands to be braced for further UNUSUAL tides through Wednesday and possibly Thursday. The Met Office could not explain why the sudden swell had taken place but had said it is definitely not the result of a tsunami. The worst affected islands appear to be those exposed to open sea, the "fringe islands." A swell of between one and two feet first washed through about ten islands at around 9.30am Tuesday morning, causing much flooding, and continued to affect further islands. Many homes have been flooded by the swell, and many families have been left without electricity. (photo)
A Meteorological Office forecaster says storm surges are not responsible for the widespread flooding in the Maldives. “We don’t do oceanography here, but we don’t think it can be storm surges. Storm surges don’t last three or four days. They normally just last one day. This is not a normal swell. The sea is not rough. The waves are also not constant. A huge wave comes all of a sudden. The truth of all this should be told.” “All the houses near the sea have been damaged. Walls have collapsed, furniture has been washed away and families have lost all their belongings.”

INDONESIA - After destroying hundreds of houses across the coastal lines of Java, Bali and western Sumatra, tidal waves struck the coasts of eastern Indonesian islands of Lombok and Flores, forcing more than 1,000 people to flee their homes, local media reports said Sunday. While residents across the southern coast of Java and Bali, and the western coast of Sumatra, were cleaning out debris from their homes which were damaged by the tidal waves two days earlier, the huge waves heavily damaged or destroyed more than 150 homes along coastlines on Lombok and Flores islands. Weather officials say the waves were a result of the accumulation of winds in one spot and are not linked with annual weather patterns. Forecasters warned that high waves may reoccur in the coming days. Tidal waves have pounded coastlines in 11 provinces in Indonesia, from Aceh, on the northern end of Sumatra to the southern tourist resort island of Bali since Thursday, with the southern coast of Java the worst hit. On the western coast of Aceh, at least 4,00 residents had to abandon their homes after sea-water flooding Thursday.

5/20/07 -
INDONESIA - Coastlines across Indonesia have been inundated by high waves, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. An accummulation of strong winds in the Indian Ocean has been blamed for the UNUSUAL tidal surge causing havoc along Indonesia's coastline. Tidal surges up to seven metres high have damaged hundreds of homes in several provinces, and sent tourists fleeing from the beaches of Bali, also destroying hundreds of fishing boats. The 11 provinces that suffered from high waves included Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu and Lampung provinces on Sumatra island. High waves also struck major coastlines of Java and Bali islands. No casualties have been recorded so far by the UNUSUAL waves. West Java province was the worst hit, with at least 200 houses swept away by the tidal waves along the coast of Pelabuhan Ratu. Weather forecasters have predicted the high waves would occur in the upcoming days and warned tourists to avoid coastline areas.
Television footage showed the high waves crashing into the tourist island of Bali, parts of the southern coast of Java island and Sukabumi area in West Java where dozens of residents scrambled inland as flood waters flowed into a little village. "More than 400 people escaped from their houses since the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said the tidal waves will last for three days." Weather officials said the waves which began hitting the Indonesian coast on Thursday and continued on Friday were UNUSUAL and not linked with the annual weather pattern. One scientist said "the moon is in line with the sun and this, therefore, results in higher tidal waves than usual. Tidal waves are predicted to occur for three days, then it will be normal again." Another weather official said the waves were caused by winds accumulating in one spot. "What happened today was caused by winds accumulating in certain spots, causing the sea to rise and move towards the beach. Tidal waves caused by wind movement are VERY RARE. It's rather ODD actually ... It will be normal in three days." (photo)
The massive waves pounded Indonesia's coastlines for a third day Saturday, forcing fishermen to stay on land and keeping tourists from the beaches. One person was killed by the huge waves that began hitting coasts across the sprawling archipelago on Thursday and dozens of fishing boats were destroyed by the rushing waters that rose as high as 7m in some areas. The waves receded to 1.5-2m in some parts today, but weather officials still warned fishermen against sailing in the Java Sea. The waves could rise up to 3m in the Indian Ocean near the western part of Java. The crashing waves, which have struck all the way from Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra to the resort island of Bali, have triggered panic among residents in some parts. Among the worst hit was Sukabumi regency in West Java where more than 600 people have fled from their homes.
Victims of massive high waves, are counting losses, while the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency warned Saturday that the waves may still occur in the next three days. In Meulaboh, Aceh province, thousands of houses in 10 villages were swept by massive waves, forcing people fled their houses. Meanwhile, in Bantul regency, Yogyakarta, the waves also damaged hundreds of houses. High waves also hit Bali, West Sumatra, Pelabuhanratu in West Java, Central Java, and Papua. In Pelabuhanratu, hundreds of high wave victims were still in temporary shelters as their houses were stormed by the waves on Saturday.

THAILAND - A road in Ban Ta Khun district was closed to traffic yesterday after it partially sank due to the presence of large holes underneath it, believed to be the result of a soil-shifting effect caused by the 2004 tsunami. The holes were large enough to sink a car. A new road might have to be built because the road could subside again. The holes, the biggest of them many metres deep, were found near one another. The ground there has been prone to sinking after the tsunami hit Andaman coastal provinces, although Surat Thani borders the Gulf of Thailand. The deadly waves brought about wide geographical changes, causing large gaps in the soil in some of the southern provinces. The area is made of carbonate rock, a rock type that typically has cavities. The rock cannot resist heavy weights and needs ground water to support it. Geologists believe the powerful earthquake which triggered the tsunami may have caused water to flow out through cracks in the soil. The loose soil structure had to bear the weight of water from rainfall, contributing to the land sinking. Elsewhere, heavy rain and high tides continued to cause flash floods, affecting commercial areas and farmland. In Phuket, some beaches, including popular Patong beach, were closed to swimmers due to high tide and strong waves. Floods inundated low-lying areas in Ayutthaya's Bang Ban, Phak Hai and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya districts as water overflowed from the Chao Phraya and Noi rivers. Badly hit is Bang Ban district where crops and garden vegetables grown on the river banks were submerged. The vegetables were planted after the floods late last year and residents were hoping to make money off them. The overflowing water in the province was mainly caused by high tides on May 17 and 19. The floods now threaten many archaeological sites and ancient temples. Officials are closely monitoring the situation and will designate the affected areas as "disaster zones". (photo)
Provincial authorities are guarding beaches in Phuket, banning swimming and access to the beaches due to dangerously strong winds and high tide. This week's unusually high tide peaks Saturday at Phuket Island. Life has slowed to a standstill with the rising tide affecting beachfront shops, homes, and seaside restaurants. Would-be holiday-makers instead gazed raptly at waves which are three- to four-metres high. Crowds of residents and tourists watched the beach with a kind of grim fascination, calling to mind memories of the twin giant waves in 2004.

REUNION - The origin and movement of waves reaching up to 11 metres that devastated France’s Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean on Saturday evening, May 12, have been detected by satellite. The waves that thrashed the southern port of Saint Pierre, leaving two fishermen missing, causing several piers to collapse and flooding several homes and businesses, originated south of Cape Town, South Africa, and travelled northeast for nearly 4000 km over a period of three days before slamming into Reunion Island. "Swells are still surprise factors, which can unfortunately be deadly." Although waves were forecast to hit Reunion Island, their intensity was predicted to be only a couple of metres. Swell periods are typically in the range of 12 to 25 seconds." A larger wave period correlates to a more extreme wind event. The one that hit Saint Pierre, Reunion Island, had a 19-second range and initially originated from very intense storm winds on May 8. Waves of all wavelengths and travelling in several directions are generated by storms. Upon leaving the storm, they disperse and those with the longest wavelengths travel the fastest. Approaching the coastline, the wave system slows down and individual waves increase to easily reach at least two times the mean average of their initial wave height.

5/18/07 -
INDONESIA - FREAK WAVES - On Thursday, high waves hit coastal areas across Indonesia, devastating houses, expelling tourists from beaches, preventing fishermen from going down to the sea, and causing at least one person to go missing. On the Indonesian main resort island of Bali, high waves hit dozens of makeshift buildings owned by vendors in Kedonganan beach, Jimbaran district, Badung regency after they had been swept by high waves since Thursday. "A sudden high wave was (also) devastating huts owned by fishermen," and a number of fishing boats were also destroyed. Meanwhile, beaches on the island, which were usually crowded by tourists, were quiet Friday as they were prevented from approaching those areas. In Yogyakarta, high waves destroyed dozens of building in Kuwaru beach, Bantul regency. "The high waves, which had occurred since late Thursday to Friday destroyed a number of houses and kiosks." The high waves reached up to 8 meters above the sea level. A similar condition was also seen in Pelabuhanratu beach, Sukabumi regency, West Java as hundreds of houses and kiosks were swept by the high waves. In West Sumatra, high waves did not only damage houses, but also prevented fishermen from going to the sea. An official said that high waves had occurred since Thursday. In Aceh, rescuers were searching for a senior high school student, who was swept by high waves when he and his friends were in Lhoknga beach, Aceh Besar regency Thursday. The waves have been generated by strong winds blowing across the Indian Ocean.

SRI LANKA - A tidal surge flooded the Paliyawatte Island off Kalpitiya on Wednesday. The National Aquatic Research and Development Agency predicted that more tidal surges may occur in the seas off Kalpitiya till Tuesday. (Kalpitiya is 103 miles (165 kms) from Colombo.) The tide was a combination of the tidal surge and the normal astronomical tide, and was not a tidal wave and was not induced by tidal phenomena. “It is enhanced during high tides with strong winds”. Regions with gentle slopes of the continental shelf experience larger surges, while areas with narrow continental shelves experience smaller surges. Tidal surges can occur one or two days after the full and new moon days. The highest tide occurred in the seas off Kalpitiya in the evening with simultaneous strong winds. 150 houses were flooded, with over 60 families displaced. Dry rations have been provided to them by the Navy. Similar tides occurred in the Kalpitya area in May 1996. A small scale tide occurred in Hikkaduwa in June 1988. Meanwhile it was reported that a similar tide occurred in Hambantota area last afternoon. However the emergency operations unit said there were no reports on any loss of lives or displacements. “Tides usually hit the coast and travel back to the sea therefore they cannot do much damage.”

5/15/07 -
MAURITIUS & RODRIGUES - FREAK WAVES swept away at least six people off the coast of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues at the weekend. One person went missing after a strong swell overturned his boat off the coast of south-east Mauritius on Saturday evening, while three fishermen disappeared on Sunday afternoon off Rodrigues, a territory 560km to the east of Mauritius. There was also no sign of two coast guards whose boat was overturned when they were searching for the missing fishermen on Sunday afternoon. Mauritius weather services reported waves of larger than three metres off the coast of the Indian Ocean islands at the weekend, and warned of further large waves on Monday. Two fishermen went missing on Saturday evening off the neighbouring French island of Reunion after their boat was swept away by a giant wave.

5/14/07 -
REUNION - A FREAK WAVE sparked panic in the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion where two fishermen were still missing on Sunday after their boat broke into two and capsized the previous evening. Three coastguards who went out to sea on Saturday evening had to be rescued themselves by a police vessel as their rubber dinghy could not return to the port. The giant wave lashed the southern port of Saint Pierre on Saturday evening sending several piers crashing down and flooding homes along the coastline. Five families had to be evacuated from their homes. France's meteorological office said the giant wave, estimated at 11 metres in some places, came from the south and added that it was a "recurring phenomenon in winter" in the southern hemisphere. Many locals said the waves were worse than the tropical cyclone Gamede which killed one person in Mauritius and injured nine in Reunion in February. An elderly man in neighbouring Saint-Louis said the storm was the WORST IN LIVING MEMORY. "I have never seen anything like this, even during the Dina and Gamede cyclones." On Sunday, waves of up to four to five metres were seen lashing the western and southern parts of the island. Local authorities have meanwhile banned traffic on the seafront as a precautionary measure. (photo)

5/7/07 -
AUSTRALIA - FREAK WAVE - authorities on Saturday rescued a Japanese yachtsman who was attempting to become the oldest solo sailor to circumnavigate the world without stopping. The 77-year-old hit trouble overnight when his yacht was disabled by a FREAK WAVE in the Southern Ocean about 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of Tasmania. A police helicopter winched him to safety and he was being taken to a Hobart hospital with leg and back injuries.

5/2/07 -
SOUTH AFRICA - FREAK WAVE - A Perth man is missing and another is seriously injured after a FREAK, 12m wave smashed into their yacht deep in the southern Indian Ocean on Monday night, April 30. The yacht’s owner and skipper broke a leg when the yacht was knocked down about 8pm and another crew member received a badly bruised leg and cuts to his head. Late last night they had managed to start the boat’s engine and begin a search for the missing crewman who had been at the helm of the yacht. His lifeline snapped in the maelstrom and he was washed overboard as the storm smashed the boat’s mizzen mast. He was wearing an inflatable safety harness but by last night had been in the freezing waters for almost 24 hours. The latest tragedy comes two weeks after a 12m catamaran was found drifting about 160km north-east of Townsville, Australia, without its 3-member crew who were possibly victims of a FREAK WAVE. It had left Airlie Beach four days earlier on a journey to Perth.

4/20/07 - SEA LEVEL SURGE-
More than one billion people live in low-lying areas where a sudden surge in sea level could prove as disastrous as the 2004 Asian tsunami, according to new research. New mapping techniques show how much land would be lost and how many people affected by rapid sea-level rises that are often triggered by storms and earthquakes. Nearly one-quarter of the world's population lives 30m below sea level - the size of the biggest surge during the 2004 tsunami that pulverised villages along the Indian Ocean and killed 230,000 people. A 30m rise in sea level would cover 9.5 million sq km of land worldwide. A rise of just 5m would affect 669 million people and 5.4 million sq km of land would be lost. Sea levels are rising about 1-2mm each year, making it unlikely such a scenario would suddenly occur across the globe. But 10,000 years ago, sea levels rose 20m in 500 years - a relatively short span - after the collapse of the continental ice sheets. The impetus for the project came after the tsunami in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005 underlined the devastating impact sudden sea level surges can have on those living in coastal areas. 53% of the U.S.'s population lives within 50 miles of the coastlines.

4/11/07 -
MEXICO - FREAK WAVE - Six people were rescued Monday after being swept out into Acapulco Bay when an UNUSUALLY LARGE wave washed over part of the resort city's coastal road. Photos showed the seawater reaching the wheel wells of cars on the hotel-lined boulevard, dozens of yards inland from the normal high-tide mark. The six people rescued were apparently walking along the beach when the wave hit and were pulled to safety by passing boats. The wave occurred on a sunny, hot day with no storm in sight, and its source was not clear. Such unusual waves can sometimes happen in good weather because of meteorological phenomenon occurring farther out to sea. (photo)

3/26/07 -
SOUTH AFRICA - The extraordinary waves that wreaked havoc along the KwaZulu-Natal coast on Monday had very little to do with high spring tides, or the much-publicised 18.6-year alignment of the Earth, moon and sun. Quite simply, it was a very powerful and UNUSUAL storm at sea that drove up the height of waves to 8m to 12m, the highest waves recorded along this part of the coast for at least 23 years. This is according to SA Weather Service principal researcher Ian Hunter, who laid the