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OPERATIONS PLAN NO.
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APO 187, cfe Postmaster”
San Francisco, Californ
16 March 1954
"
on"Fortunately the‘MARSHALL ISLANDS are situated and. con~..
“* formed to withstand the majoreffects of a. tidal wave, —
‘. The base structure of ‘the atoll rises abruptly from the
"geas surrounding it on all sides, ..Topographical con= | %-"
./ formations such as ‘long- shelving approaches or confining.
- ) ndllor harbor dtructures are-absent. The atoll ‘isi.
ao approximately 2,000 nautical-miles from the Pacific «- “earthquake belt in which most Adel.waves:originate,
St ' are all only one or two feet above sea level at extrene
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high tide,
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,
:
more damage to the northern islands. Further, the most
-
.
Eniwetok and Parry “Ielands, tq the’ south,%:
average six to eight feet above this level, -A ‘tidal
wave of moderate to severe proportions woulgl result i,
probable directionof approach of a tidal weveis from ~
_ 7 the north. “Therefore, some danger of tidal wave damage.;
“
to installations, and injury to personnel, exists on... -.- <2
| ~ Eniwetokand Bikini Atoll,
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oot
A‘seiamogrdph warning net exists. in:tthe Pacific utilizingexisting ‘comiandctroults,
_
Plans for the protectionof
7j4fe and property against tidal‘waves must be made, and
LY personnel must‘be trained in their part of those -planse ee
fee:
mi an one
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{2} “Numerous typhoons have.‘beoh recorded inthe MARSHALL, -
“= ISLANDS during the past fifty years. ‘The most recent typ :
hoon was"HESTER" which caused severe property damage on ”_
‘Eniwetok Island on 29 December 1952, While no record of |.” ~
-¢gatastrophic damage exists, this may be due ‘in part to:
ts
“lack of populetionand property concentration in the 2°
|.
» MARSHALL ISLANDS until recent years. Even thougti typhoons
‘. and other windstorms of great intensity can be forecast<
“ to some degree as to force, duratiori, and direction eof.”
‘travel, the-number of impondercdie factors in any one case‘
- is suex that the record-or pagt. cases is little more than’
‘= source bf general information,
Inan"sreawhere typhoons
have been® recorded;:‘itiseae
4
or‘common sense. to:
"I
-
ae
Wgtructuresson "ae Fox.“Atoll1‘have.
“been "designed "to withstand windsof105 “MPH... Personnel
and property insid
3
‘pie! “buildings will: be considerably :AMOTE-.Thies 4s protection fram x
Doors‘and geindo