ALL eyes are on Tonga this week as we begin to understand how much destruction resulted from last Saturday’s volcanic eruption and tsunami. In terms of size of the event, this disaster ranks with the Indonesia earthquake and tsunami of 2004, the Fukushima tsunami in Japan, and the earthquake near Chile in 2010, but those were earthquakes, not volcanoes. Although it is still early, this eruption looks to be the largest volcanic event since Mount Pinatubo in 1991.
The death and devastation caused by this eruption and the subsequent tsunami will never reach the levels seen in those other events because it occurred far from heavily populated areas. However, the impact on the island nation of Tonga is enormous and its effects will be long-lasting.
Here is the science. On January 14 and 15, 2022, a massive volcanic eruption occurred approximately 40 miles from Tonga, resulting in an earthquake, massive ash cloud, and tsunami. Of the three, the tsunami affected the greatest area, with excessive waves measured as far away as Alaska, South America and Russia’s Pacific coast. The ash cloud rose more than halfway to space, and was clearly seen from the International Space Station, whose occupants took some amazing photos. The sound of the explosion was heard in Australia, California, and even Alaska. The tsunami is being blamed for two drowning deaths on a beach in Peru.
Of course, Tonga got the worst of it. A thick blanket of ash covered all the islands in the group. A 49-foot tsunami hit the islands, resulting in massive flooding and property destruction. On some islands, no structures of any kind remain.
The humanitarian response has been heartwarming, and this is the primary lesson for all of us. New Zealand and Australia have spearheaded the relief effort for Tonga, as they should since they are the largest and wealthiest nations in the vicinity. New Zealand immediately pledged $500,000 as a starting point and committed large portions of their military to help, and Australia has taken similar steps. The two countries have assumed the burden of coordinating the assistance coming in from all over the world.
China has committed $100,000 and water purification machinery, India pledged $200,000, Japan devoted one million dollars and has dispatched a fleet of ships bearing drinking water, food, and cleaning supplies. Even Israel is sending support.
This is as it should be. In a world full of political crises, social upheaval and turmoil, it is nice to see the human family come together to help a country in need. Tonga will rebuild, as it always has after disasters, but the response from the international community has been abundant, so the recovery process will go faster and smoother.
The title of this column includes the word “warning” because, just as Russia squares off with NATO over the future of Ukraine and China and the United States are fighting a Cold War over the South China Sea, the Tonga crisis shows us a way forward if we hope to push through this time of troubles. Will we ever see the peace and prosperity of our ancestors, or will we grind through one man-made crisis after another until we destroy ourselves? As I talk with people from around the world, a pessimism has set in. People no longer feel we are moving in the right direction. They no longer feel like a better future awaits. One British commentator has described the United States as “ungovernable” due to the unrest and hostile divisiveness in that country.
Clearly, we need more Tongas and fewer Ukraines.
BC Cook, PhD lived on Saipan and has taught history for 20 years. He currently resides on the mainland U.S.
BC Cook
