Video shows moment extreme waves damage Army base on remote island

A large wave hit the Army base’s dining hall, breaking down doors
More than half of the personnel on the island were told to evacuate
No major injuries were reported

Updated: Jan 24, 2024 / 06:25 PM CST

(NewsNation) — A series of powerful weather-driven waves hit a U.S. military base in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, damaging infrastructures and forcing dozens of people to evacuate.

Dramatic video captured the moment a large wave hit the base’s dining hall, knocked doors off their hinges, tossed furniture around and swept several people off their feet.

According to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), the waves were a result of significant flooding that occurred on Jan. 20.

Eighty of the 120 personnel living on the island were told to evacuate, according to DVIDS.

“Flooding from the waves damaged much of the unaccompanied personnel housing,” DVIDS said. “The dining facility, the chapel and the Tradewinds Theater were moderately to severely damaged.”

The waves were so powerful that they also damaged two nearby airports, NewsNation affiliate KTLA reports.

The base supports the U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site.

No major injuries were reported.