Attachments
Date of event
22-01-2024
What happened, where and when?
On 20 January 2024, a strong winter storm formed in the northern Pacic Ocean and caused major inundation event in the Marshall Islands. The rst impact of the storm was seen in Roi Namur, an islet in the Kwajalein Atoll. The storm brought large waves and strong winds, leading to signicant inundation in the atoll. It continued to cause damage across the country, aecting two islets in the Arno Atoll on the same day. The islets in Arno faced additional damages as a second wave of inundation impacted them in the early morning the next day, exacerbating the vulnerabilities of the population in the respective islets.
Several atolls in the Marshall Islands, including Alinglaplap, Arno, Jabot, Jaluit, Kili, Kwajalein, Likiep, Mejit, Namdrik, Namu, and Wotje, also experienced inundation. Most of these atolls suered from ooding and agricultural damage. Arno and Kwajalein atolls were the hardest hit. Roi Namur in Kwajalein and the islets in Arno experienced severe infrastructural damage and disruptions to livelihoods in addition to the ooding and agricultural damage.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this recent ooding event in the Marshall Islands was more severe than the major ooding event that impacted the country in December 2008. NOAA also highlighted that the impact of the inundation was comparable to the devastating King Tide event in December 2021 that aected the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
In 2008, the oods caused signicant agricultural damage and displaced many residents. However, the event in January 2024 had caused damages to infrastructure and livelihoods and the impact was even more profound. Entire communities in Kwajalein and Arno atolls were left in disarray, with homes, schools, and vital infrastructure severely damaged or destroyed. The frequency and intensity of such events appear to be increasing, raising concerns about the long-term resilience and sustainability of these vulnerable island communities.
The analysis by NOAA also provided crucial context in understanding the magnitude of this disaster, emphasizing the need for immediate and sustained humanitarian and infrastructural support. The comparison to previous incidents highlights an alarming pattern of growing environmental diculties that the Marshall Islands and other low-lying Pacic islands are facing.
Due to time constraints and frequent ight cancellations, MIRCS was only able to conduct needs assessments in nine out of the eleven impacted atolls and islets. The following are atolls and islets that was assessed: Alinglaplap, Arno, Jabot, Jaluit, Kili, Likiep, Mejit, Namu, and Wotje. This limited MIRCS ability to fully gauge the extent of the damage across the entire region.