Tropical Storm, Marshall Islands
- When
- March 11, 3:00 PM GST to March 13, 12:00 AM GST
- Where
- Marshall Islands forecast zone
- Deaths
- 9 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $2.0 million
- Crop damage
- $100,000
- Reported by
- Newspaper
On the night of the 9th of March, scatterometer data indicated a circulation south of Majuro near 4N172E. By the afternoon of the 11th it had moved to about 80 miles south of Majuro. By that night the circulation increased it's distance from Majuro and gained enough strength to become Tropical Depression 03W.
The pressure gradient between the Tropical Depression and an area of high pressure to the north generated higher winds (25 to 35 kts) across Eastern Micronesia.|According to WSO Majuro, Ujae, an atoll about 80 miles west of Kwajalein, got quite a bit of wind. It was reported that there was damage to breadfruit trees and a few houses were knocked down. The highest sustained wind speed on Majuro was 26 mph with a gust to 35 mph. By the morning of the 12th, the depression being located 115 miles south-southwest of Kwajalein Atoll gained more strength to become Tropical Storm Bavi. Kwajalein reported small tree damage on the 12th. The highest sustained wind observed on Kwajalein was 36 mph with a gust to 47 mph. The damage across Kwajalein amounted to over $1 million. It was reported that roofs were destroyed on four buildings, and some old steel structures were made too dangerous to use. There was also some coastal flooding and considerable wind damage on Ebeye, an islet 1-2 miles north of the Army Base, and the location where the local national population that works at the Army Base lives. There were no monetary estimates of the damages there.
High seas and winds associated with Tropical Storm Bavi possibly claimed a fishing vessel. An 83-foot fishing vessel, the Clearwater 02, was reported overdue. The ship reportedly went missing with nine people aboard while en route to Majuro for offload on the 12th. Clearwater 02 is a Federated States of Micronesia-flagged vessel with one Marshallese and eight Chinese nationals aboard. The ship was fairly new, being built in 2001. A Coast Guard aircraft searched 49,837 square miles totaling 44 search hours. Ten good Samaritan vessels also assisted in search efforts. A Navy P-3 Orion airplane from U.S. Navy 7th Fleet searched Thursday (11th) and Friday(12th) |covering an additional 8,747 square miles. Good Samaritan vessels recovered 34 fishing floats labeled CW02 224 miles east of Majuro. Two life rings marked Clearwater 02 were located by one of the fishing vessels searching |114 miles southeast of Kwajalein on Tuesday (17th) and Friday (20th). Debris from the vessel was sighted in the vicinity of Ailinglaplap and Namu atolls, an area directly in the westerly track of Bavi.