Villages along the East Coast of New Ireland Province were woken up in the early hours of Monday morning, alarmed by the angry sound of crashing waves and high surges.
Villagers from Laraibina, Madina and Fissoa - along the Boluminsky Highway - said the tides started surging at approximately 2:30am on January 22nd, 2024.
Commonly known as “king tide”, these unusually high water levels are caused by the orbits and alignment of the Earth, moon and sun, and normally occur once or twice in a year.
On mainland Kavieng, several homes, food gardens and water sources were destroyed, with debris strewn along the Boluminsky Highway; reminiscent of the 2009 devastation.
“These sudden and powerful movements of the sea occurred while most people were fast asleep, causing concern and alarm within the community,” shared Hubert Melake, Founder of Kavieng-based civil society organisation, Malas Foundation.
“Unfortunately, the community was not adequately advised or forewarned about these changes in sea level.
“The lack of prior communication and information regarding the potential risks and impacts of the high surges left the community unprepared to respond effectively and mitigate the damage caused by the king tides.
“While specific details regarding the affected villages may vary, it is evident that the impact of the king tides has been felt predominantly in these coastal communities. The extent of the damage and the specific villages affected may require further investigation and assessment to provide a comprehensive list.”
The Tabar Group of Islands also reported widespread destruction, with Tatau Ward 2 Councillor, John Langele Jr, estimating that over 10 houses have been destroyed.
Ward 2 of the Sentral Niu Ailan Rural LLG covers the villages of Pekinberiu, Sos, Lava, Tatau and Marakat. Of those villages, Lava and Tatau have been affected as they are located on the northeast and northwest sides of Tatau Island.
“Three big waves crashed onto the island, chasing people out of their homes in the night. On Monday morning, the momentum increased with strong hit-ups.
“Only buildings suffered damages; gardens and water sources have been spared. However, our jetty has been damaged and we are blocked in. That’s where we go in and out.”
Sharing similar sentiments with people on the mainland, Langele Jr said they were not aware of this natural phenomenon.
“After the villages were hit, we started receiving information from the weather office.
“They should have issued a warning a week in advance so we could be aware of it.”
As of this morning, Langele Jr said the rising sea has calmed while strong winds and rain have started.
“The sea is very rough.”