A large wave smashed through the doors of a dining hall at a U.S. military base in the Marshall Islands over the weekend, and video of the terrifying event has gone viral on social media.
The video was shared on Instagram by Erik D. Hanson, whose bio describes him as a scuba dealer and instructor on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
“Now that I’ve heard everyone from this event is ok I’m finally posting the video,” Hanson said in his post on Monday. “Roi Namur island was hit hard by several huge waves Saturday night.
“It was NOT a tsunami as many other sites that stole my video are saying. No other islands were affected. It was a combination of wind, tides and swell direction. It also was right after low tide at a 1.2ft tide so could have been worse.
“Very very thankful no one was seriously injured. Thank you to all friends and family who reached out.”
Trending:
Hanson’s post had about 93,000 likes as of Tuesday afternoon.
TMZ described the video as “playing out like a scene from a horror movie.”
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Several people who were outside of the building were forced inside when the water knocked a set of double doors off its hinges and fortuitously pulled them inside.
Knee-high water then rushed into the Army building.
As the water level rose to about chest-high, the building lost its power.
According to the Island Times, one person was being treated for injuries to his lower extremities at the clinic on Kwajalein. He was in stable condition.
The Army released a statement about the incident on Sunday, the Times reported.
It said “a series of weather-induced waves” caused “significant flooding in the northern portions of the island” around 9 p.m. local time Saturday.
The Army said it had “evacuated all non-mission essential personnel to Kwajalein.”
“All Roi residents will remain on Kwajalein until basic services can be restored on Roi,” it said. “Recovery efforts will be our top priority.”
Two airports that service the islands could be closed for weeks.
The Marshall Islands are self-governing but have a compact with the U.S. government allowing troops to be stationed there.
The U.S. military has maintained a presence in the islands since January 1944, when American forces invaded and neutralized Japanese forces that had been using them before and during the Second World War for bombing runs.
Monday marked the 80th anniversary of the assault on the islands, which went on for two weeks and resulted in the destruction of every Japanese aircraft stationed there.
Four hundred American troops lost their lives taking the islands from the Japanese Empire.
In total, 53,000 U.S. soldiers took part in the invasion, which concluded on Feb. 3, 1944.
