Re: Tsunami? You are worried about nothing. @2023 Bora Bora Photographer Damien Gobron, Sharks in Bora Bora : Is it safe? Press J to jump to the feed. As Bora Bora is located in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, it is vulnerable to tidal waves including tsunamis. "It is literally dark in parts of Tonga and people are rushing to safety following the eruption," he said. The lobby suffered the most damage with a few holes in the roof and damage to the boat docks. Dont worry too much if it starts raining heavily as most rain showers are over within 10 to 20 minutes and it will dry up pretty quick because of the heat. Tensions are rising in the airport as the people toward the back of the line do the math. I think it is a very interesting story to learn from and am glad that you posted. With the timing of international flight arrivals and departures, its often necessary to spend your first or last night on Tahiti before transferring to Bora Bora or Moorea. Novavax Inc's shares plunged more than 24% in U.S. premarket trading on Wednesday, a day after the COVID-19 vaccine maker raised doubts about its ability to remain in business. On Friday, the volcano sent ash, steam and gas up to 20 km (12 miles) into the air, Tonga Geological Services said in a Facebook post. Spanning from April to November, the weather is perfect for tourism and the rainfall is relatively lesser. Read More: Paris in the Pacific: Bonjour! These 2 deaths both occurred during a particularly large tsunami of 20 meters in 1946. Minimum flight duration : 0h50 Distance from Tahiti : 259 km The good reasons to visit The lagoon, one of the most beautiful in the world with crystal clear waters, dotted with heavenly islets which have earned Bora Bora the name of "Pearl of the Pacific". I agree I might have been a little harsh on the hotel and yes the prices were cheaper during the low season. For the first few hours of captivity, Karine allows us to escape the stuffiness of the gym by standing just outside the door to the spa for some fresh air. Karine explains that we are waiting on a government minister in Papeete to give the OK for the hotels to release guests back to their rooms. It claimed five lives in Suva and Kadavu and flooded parts of Suva City. The island enjoys a typical tropical climate, the daytime temperature ranges from 30 C (86 F) in the warm period to 28 C (82 F) in the relatively cool period. A tsunami wave measuring 1.2 metres (4 feet) was observed in Tonga's capital Nuku'alofa, according to Australia's Bureau of Meteorology. The last one to pass through Bora Bora was Cyclone Olii in early 2010, . Ive looked on Google & cannot find any info regarding the effect IF ANY of the recent Tonga EQ and tsunami on Bora Bora. Even relatively small flood waves can lead to high losses and financial damage. All of this internet voodoo takes place at no additional cost to you. Thanks, Carrie! But we all make the best of it (again). and evencocktails! When I arrive, there are only about 10 other people in the room already making up their mattresses. I hadn't seen or heard anything about it reaching that far, but does anyone know for sure? My question is what are the important factors of a tsunami and its outcome for say,, a town in Bora bora.. Tidal wave. They are also combining resources to get off the island in time for our impending international flights. Would love to go back someday under better circumstances. The American group bonds quickly Randy and Autumn from Atlanta, Craig and Kathy from Kansas and a few others. What a hysterical coincidence! We land in Papeete at dusk to a pounding rain. Scan this QR code to download the app now. The most damaging tsunami in Fiji was in 1953. And thanks to everyone for your concern. Two plates subduct, one side is uplifted, this causes a huge column of water to be displaced, it splits in two with one going to land and one to sea, the one arrriving at the shore creates a surge of water. What else can we do? I am most concerned about the people out in the atollsas they are just a few feet above sea level and there is no where to evacuate to. [1/4]The eruption of an underwater volcano off Tonga, which triggered a tsunami warning for several South Pacific island nations, is seen in an image from the NOAA GOES-West satellite taken at 05:00 GMT January 15, 2022. Answer 1 of 3: I've looked on Google & cannot find any info regarding the effect IF ANY of the recent Tonga EQ and tsunami on Bora Bora. After takeoff, I chat up my French seat-mate, Marc, who relays his evacuation experience at the Sofitel (they were evacuated to the guest rooms at the Novotel next door and were allowed to stay in their individual rooms!). But with young children, I was feeling a bit guilty. Hi Tom, definitely bad timing! The next morning as I board the plane, Marc is waiting at the top of the stairs to greet me decked out in full pilot regalia. Several hours pass and we are all growing despondent. Dinner is served as flies continue to buzz around the room. Nowadays these racing machines with sophisticated paddles specially shaped for faster speeds are most popular. Glad to hear another case of not too much of an issue. Last year, I visited Moorea on Round-the-World #4 and fell head over heels in love with the lush island encircled by a magnificent azure lagoon. But eventually, we board just as the sun is setting over Polynesian paradise. Bring light and natural fabrics like cotton or linen. But I am worried about getting stuck on the island, missing my next flight, and screwing up the remainder of my Round-the-World itinerary. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Its easy to track hurricanes so youll know well in advance if a hurricane is approaching the island. Then I notice that theswim deckat the end of the stairs going down from my upper deck is almost completely submerged. She wants us to wait for them to take each group back to our room in the hotel golf cart. The race takes place in November, and sees over 100 competitors race on traditional canoes a distance of 129 km which links Huahine, Raiatea, Tahaa, and finish in Bora Bora. The study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena. Bora Bora is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with these magnificent mammals . Just a bit nervous that it might all be too much in the event of a Tsunami Warning/Watch to board a boat from the islet of Le Meridien to get to the main island of Bora Bora with little time to react. It starts in December and lasts till March. Its also common for your airline to contact you and offer to move your flight forward if you want so you can leave prior to the storm hitting. Everyone knows there is only one airplane coming and it isnt exactly going to be a 747. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Im pleased that the room does have a nice-sized balcony. He asks, You are on the Air France flight to LAX tomorrow? When I say yes, he looks at me with a broad, knowing smile and responds in his thick French accent, Oh, I can assure you it will be on-timeI am your pilot.. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. Tsunamis occur most often in the Pacific Ocean and Indonesia because the Pacific Rim bordering the Ocean has a large number of active submarine earthquake zones. Anyway - the evac's all went pretty well - those that needed them, and in many ways it was a non- event locally. The rain has finally let up by day three, though the clouds persist. Explore early and late during the day and find shelter from 11h to 14h. Supposed to hit Hawaii in one hour or so, All islands except the Gambier archipel are still on red alert and the airport is still closed with not road traffic allowed either and those evacuated still up on the mountains. Tsunami of January 22, 2017 (Bougainville, P.) Tsunami of December 17, 2016 (New Britain, P.). The whole room is nearly ready to revolt. And once youre there, youre committed to riding it out. I do take advantage of a local pearl farms free offer of a ride into town. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. If you want to save a lot of money on your Bora Bora vacation, dont go over the summer high season. One of the 118 islands of French Polynesia, surrounded by thousands of miles of Pacific Ocean, it's a favorite honeymoon spot. The novotel rooms by the looks of the pictures seemed much more robust against hazardous weather than those bungalows, which makes sense they couldve stayed in their rooms. Earthquakes in Chile (Northern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.5. It very rarely rains all day in Bora Bora even in the rainiest month which is January. Earthquakes in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 9.5. Within the confines of the spa, the gym is a single room that barely exceeds the approximate square footage of my bungalow. When we land in Papeete the rain is still coming down hard. I catch a cab back to the Hotel Tiare hoping they will still have a room for me. This time my room is much larger and nicer, which was a lovely surprise after a stressful day. Aside from the potential events, there have never been any tsunamis hitting New York in recorded history. Answer 1 of 6: Hi all, My husband was worried that Bora Bora was affected by the tsunami the other day. Weather be damned, I think I can get used to this bungalow life! Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube. It is definitely at a risk of inundation. The floor is covered wall to wall with bare mattresses. High waves were reported in Alaska and Hawaii earlier. The super active earthquake zones are not near as close to French Polynesia as they are to Samoaso it is highly unlikely that a large magnitude quake would occur close enough to Bora Bora to offer no evacuation time. There are 2 named cyclones in the So Pacific right now. Dedicated to answering your questions on moving to a more simple and relaxed lifestyle. A tsunami can arrive within minutes of a tremor or earthquake. The inter-island flights are rarely full because they have to carefully balance the flight loads between people and luggage. This is the tourist high season. After the bellman leaves, I realize he didnt leave me a key to my new room. any website that i can go to find information regarding tsunami in FP? 2023 Jenny McIver Brocious All Rights Reserved Round the World in 30 Days, LLC. You will have very little time to react. I hadnt given the hotel my flight arrival information Im happily surprised to see him. Everything upstairs is boarded up tight so we cant even hear whats going on outside. I just pray we will not be forced to spend the night in this sweltering room. Bora Bora. Hope the Hawaiian islands will come out ok! Im sure it has a lovely view of the harbor if only it wasnt monsoon season outside. The tsunami caused damages in 6 further countries. Wave height is much lower than a bad Pacific storm. It was 5:00am by this time17 hours of misery in paradise. That's great!!!!! In a total of 13 tidal waves classified as a tsunami since 1837 a total of 2 people died in the whole French Polynesia (which is the size of Europe). French Polynesia is made up of a number of islands, the most famous of which are Tahiti, Bora Bora, and Moorea. About 50 of us (more than half of the hotel guests) are rushed onto the Hilton boat. U.S. TV Presenter Jimmy Kimmel was staying at the Four Seasons Bora Bora on holidays with his girlfriend, you can read here his hilarious story and tweets. High Season: May to October. Staying 17ish hours in a small room full of people (even if the heat is bad) is bearable in these conditions, have you every been stuck for an entire month in an apartment with no A/C ? The traditional drums, costumes, dancing on the sand and much more make it the best place to experience Bora Boras festive culture. I hadn't seen or heard anything about it reaching that far, but does anyone know for sure? how about future tsunami generated from the after. The make-up of the 80 guests in the room is about 50% Japanese with the other 50% split between Europeans and Americans. Most of the casualities in Samoa were children and old people. And even if you already have booked your stay, continue reading to know what to expect during the chosen time of your holidays! Its seasons are opposite to Europe and North America. Anyone hear a report? Tsunami waves of 83 cm (2.7 feet) were recorded by gauges in the Tongan capital of Nuku'alofa and two-foot waves were seen at Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. According to the Global Historical Tsunami Database, tsunamis that cause damage or deaths near their source occur approximately twice per year. Not only will you pay more money over peak season, but you will be sharing the island with more people. Honestly, you would be in far more danger being at a oceanfront location in Singapore than you will be in Bora Bora. A total of 167 humans died. Since 1837, there have been 13 tidal waves that have been classified as tsunamis in the whole of French Polynesia, causing just 2 deaths. The only thing we had going over everyone else is that most of them spent the whole night in lockdown and werent released until almost 9:00am (4 hours longer than us). We drop our beers and run at a full sprint for our bungalows. My hillside villa isnt far down the hill from the spa so I make it back easily. Bring blow dryer, flat iron and specific anti-frizz products. The tsunami is expected to. So, I check in to the Conrad and spent the remainder of the partly sunny day enjoying another fantastic overwater bungalow and a dip in the lagoon from my private dock. Historically, storms caused by tropical depressions and other El Nino effects have usually occurred in February and March. We are on red alert meaning evacutions of certain areas and no more traffic allowed normally this lasts a couple of hours only for the next few days it would depend on the magnitude of the after shocks if an alert is re-issued and what level. You couldve been in that bungalows that supposedly drifted overwater. She explains that we all need to share the mattresses because there will be 80 other people in the room. All of the turtles in the Meridien sanctuary are under three years old and too young to be released into the wild. (must be the place where they film serial murder documentaries) . This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. With six nights on Bora Bora, my budget wont allow for $600/night hotels the whole time (and thats what they all are on this island, at a minimum). The host was enjoying a trip to French Polynesia with his girlfriend Molly when a massive earthquake struck Japan on Friday and caused a devastating ocean swell which swept inland and claimed the lives of thousands . In Bora Bora we have ample advance notice, high mountains for shelter, evacuation updated plans in all the resorts and a tsunami warning system in place which is key to being able to get to safety in time. The temblor generated a nearly 10-foot (3-meter) tsunami measured from crest to trough according to preliminary data, said Chip McCreery, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. Right at the entrance to the spa, there is a single, large palm tree that has been swaying with the winds throughout the afternoon. I was informed that their Reception area is 5m above sea level which is good to know. I'd say it is relatively high risk as it sits in a zone surrounded by subduction zones. ATN did divert one flight to Hawaii to be on safe side. There is an enormous sense of solidarity and you should really NOT worry and especially NOT change your holiday plans! Thank God. Especially in regions with only few tsunamis, the damage is often drastic, as the population does not expect tsunamis and thus hardly takes any protective measures. Its about as helpful as dropping an ice cube into a pot of boiling water but at least its a start. Karine explains that the two options for dinner will be ravioli (from a can that she holds up) or ramen noodles and she will now begin heating them up. If a hurricane poses any sort of danger then your hotel or resort will evacuate you and take you to safety. CIRA/NOAA/Handout via REUTERS. It is the best time to visit if you are into wind sports like sailing, kite-surfing and wind-surfing. Good. Any one of those zones has the capacity to generate a tsunami. It depends on how close it is to a plate boundary. Rainy season in Bora Bora runs from November until April. Forced to abandon my solitude, it looks like Ill be waiting this thing out with the rest of the hotels guests. The flight isnt full and I even scored an entire row of five seats to myselfheaven! When I thought I was stuck on Bora Bora for another night I e-mailed to cancel my reservation for tonight. Places further away, such as Bora Bora have over 2 hours notice that a tsunami could be headed their way. The warnings - the first in more than five years - covered several specific areas. Thanks! Its Bucket List worthy for sure! Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. This traditional marathon comes from Pre-European times when Polynesians used the vaa for fishing, carrying families, animals, and food supplies, discovering new lands, and other daily life activities. By the time the waves got all the way to BB they were about a foot and unnoticable.. We are Ok. Got to experience the first Tsunami warning Bora Bora (and the rest of French Polynesia) has experienced in recent history. Earthquakes in Chile (Southern Chile) with a magnitude of 8.5. Its located in the same area and their lovely garden bungalows are one of the few good bargains on the island. There will be some crying from the Black Pearl farms looking for more Govt (French) subsidies. This earthquake caused a large tsunami that caused damage to Bora Bora and other areas in the Pacific. Many of the resorts sidewalks are underwater making it difficult to get around. So in case of bad weather, we have some flexibility to postpone. I spend a few hours online working and e-mailing family and friends with updates. CNN reports a second quake on Wednesday evening in Samoa but no tsunami alert http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/10/01/samoa.earthquake/.