By Kassi Berg
The village of Ngkeklau (Ngaraard) located on the eastern coast of Palau’s largest island, approved Babeldoab, was practically wiped out by the tidal surge of Typhoon Bopha. Despite escaping the full brunt of the Typhoon because it veered south of Palau, the devastation of the typhoon is palpable in Ngkeklau where many of the locals are without homes and the entire village is without power, water, and communications.
Belongings from these homes litter the landscape. Some houses were entirely destroyed and literally washed into the trees and their neighbors yards, while others were swept off their foundations nearly in tact and can be found elsewhere. One house now sits in the middle of the road blocking access to the village. High watermarks inside the remaining structures indicate that the tidal surge may have been as high as 10 feet.
This same scene of destruction is replicated in Palau’s other states along the east coast, such as Ngiwal, where homes were flooded and flattened. Taro patches have been inundated with salt water, destroying the crops. Coastal roads were either covered in sand and debris or heavily damaged and even impassable in some areas.
At 3:00 in the afternoon on December 3, 2012, the locals, many of them homeless, gathered around their property, devastated by loss, awaiting government officials to visit and assess the damage.
The President was said to be driving through the eastern coast of Palau before he was scheduled to meet with the National Emergency Management Office and other leaders. A state of emergency has not yet been declared.
The residents of the east coast of Palau that had evacuated to the national capitol for refuge will continue to stay there until another option is determined. The government has announced that it will be closed tomorrow, December 4, 2012, as the national capitol is still acting as a shelter.
5 thoughts on “Palau Coastal Village in Ruins After Typhoon Bopha”
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Thank you for the reporting.
However, please reconsider your use of the label “refugees” to describe the Palauans who are currently sheltered at the national capitol. As bad as the situation is, and yes, many people are homeless at the moment, they have every right to be there at their capitol as they are Palauan citizens in Palau, their own country and not a foreign one, like actual refugees would be.
thanks for the suggestion/correction, i agree that the word has a myriad of meanings and i don’t want to be misunderstood so i will make a change. thanks again.
Good to hear from you. Sorry for people in northeast Island, and hope they will get help very soon.
How is situation in Koror?
Lena and Leif
Koror fared much better than the eastern coast. The stories are still pouring in …
Thank you for watching and/or following OTV and even more so, for your prayers.
Thank you for answer, and I can see we missed the other pictures and reports, also about Koror.
Thank you for the reports, so we can follow what happens! Lena and Leif