It is as if there is a news blackout going on about Diego Garcia.
I am going to find out if they have a web site or something.
Can someone please tell me where Diego Garcia is in relation to the epicenter of the earthquake?
All my maps are packed for a move in three days.
Prayers going up for all our pople on Diego Garcia.
I have a bad feeling about that place.
Hope I'm wrong.
Diego Garcia is fine, my son is stationed there and we recieved email from him yesterday, they didnt even feel the quake, and his Weather Officer sent out email this morning saying this:
Diego Garcia is at the top of the Chagos Trench located just to our east (hence the island chain name of Chagos Archipelago). This trench is very deep and the steepness of the grade from the trench to the top of the island does not allow tsunamis to build up before they were to come on shore.
They all had a great Christmas (as good as you can away from home that is) and are busy working as usual.
I was just recently stationed on Diego Garcia for nearly the past year and a half; so for those of you that are interested in hearing news on how they endured the tsunami i was able to contact some friends currently on the island and hear news back.
Fortunately, D-Gar weathered the tsunami well. According to my friend, they did feel some of the effects on the island, but no major damage occured. When i asked whether any flooding occured i was told that they recieved nothing more than some major swells...no flooding though.
Two major geographical features played a major factor in protecting the island's residents. If you look at the previously posted picture in this thread, the eastern part of the island (shown on the left side of the picture since it is upsidedown) is uninhabited and was able to absorb any of the major incoming waves. The second feature, and probably the most significant, of the island is that it is build like an underwater skyscaper with 300 to 1000 ft cliffs just off the shores which did not allow for any large waves to form, overtaking the island like many of the other islands in the maldives.
At this time no damage surveys have been conducted on the eastern portion of the island; however, i did recieve information that the plantation took a bit of a hit resulting in nothing more that excessive erosion on the beach there.
Hope this information eases your concerns, especially if you currently have friends or family on DG.
--- Brue
See http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=26265
Coral reefs supposedly dissipated the waves of this island 1000 miles closer in to the quake than Somalia.