New Ireland Provincial Disaster Manager, Terence Tasia, has confirmed that the king tide warning was issued late.
Locals from the affected villages of Laraibina, Madina and Fissoa – along the Boluminsky Highway – and Lava and Tatau on Tatau Island, expressed frustration that they were not adequately advised about these changes in sea level. As a result, locals fled for their lives at around 2.30am on Monday, January 22nd, when the waves surged through their homes, leaving destruction in its wake.
Locals expressed that prior communication would have prepared them to respond and mitigate the damages.
When asked to confirm, Tasia said: “In actual fact, all of us did not get the warning; our early warning system did not come in place to warn us.
“I was in the village when I heard the waves crash at 2 o’clock in the morning. I contacted my counterpart in Rabaul and I was then alerted of the possibility of a king tide.
“Then in the morning, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre was contacted and they confirmed that yes, for two days the king tide will affect the country.
“But by then, it had already happened and the information went out in the afternoon.
“We are investing in early warning systems but they are not warning us early.
“This is something the national authority and disaster managers need to address.
“Early warning systems are there to warn us at least a day in advance so we can prepare.”