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[Timothy Smith]

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2015/03/13/flooding-vanuatu-kiribati-and-tuvalu-cyclone-pam-strengthens

This is very bad for Kiribati.

[Bill Mangus]

Maybe Geoeye can get a new image of Niku after the weather clears for planning purposes.

[Monty Fowler]

I feel for these people, many of whom are going to loose what little they do have; and international aid, for whatever reason, doesn't as readily flow to that part of the world.

As an aside, every time one of these big ones plows through the area, a little bit more of Amelia and Fred's legacy gets washed away, forever.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 ECSP

[Friend Weller]

But you never know.....maybe the "wheel of fortune" or "surfin' cabin door" might reappear or something new might be dredged up just for the occasion!

[Randy Conrad]

In regards to Friend's comments Monty....with a cyclone of that magnitude...does it have an effect on something say if the Electra is down 16,000 ft off of the atoll of Niku. Always curious about how that would have an effect on wrecks and such as this case the upcoming expedition. Would anything be washed away that far down at those depths is mainly what I'm asking?

[Bill Mangus]

I wonder if Ric has received a status report from the captain/owner of Nai'a?

[Andrew M McKenna]

Randy

The sonar anomaly at 620 ft is too deep to feel the effects of a cyclone.  Probably not much of an effect even below 100 ft, depending upon the size of the waves.

The Norwich City Engine sitting on the edge of the reef, could easily be affected, and I wouldn't be surprised to see that it had finally toppled downslope from its current position.

We'll find out in June.

Andrew

In regards to Friend's comments Monty....with a cyclone of that magnitude...does it have an effect on something say if the Electra is down 16,000 ft off of the atoll of Niku. Always curious about how that would have an effect on wrecks and such as this case the upcoming expedition. Would anything be washed away that far down at those depths is mainly what I'm asking?

[Andrew M McKenna]

Here are a couple of sites that give a good idea of what is going on

https://www.windyty.com/?4.259,166.113,4

http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-193.36,-12.66,1024

[Michael Calvin Powell]

Add this one:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-packard/the-unfolding-crisis-in-kiribati-and-the-urgency-of-response_b_6854386.html

[Bill Mangus]

The Washington Post weather site has posted some before and after pictures.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/03/19/not-a-leaf-spared-before-and-after-photos-show-cyclone-pams-devastation/

[Monty Fowler]

My God ... if something like that ever hits Niku directly, every remaining clue on the surface will be removed. Forever.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 219 ECSP

[Chris Murphy]

My God ... if something like that ever hits Niku directly, every remaining clue on the surface will be removed. Forever.

LTM,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 219 ECSP

It makes you wonder if any similar storms have hit Niku over the last 75+ years.  How would such storms affect existing artifacts?