GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist has written a blog about science since 4 August 2004 (the early years are archived 
Approximately an hour ago, a tsunami smashed into the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, after an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 rocked the ocean floor just off the island nation's west coast.
"Two villages were reported to have been completely inundated," said Julian McLeod of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office. "We have received reports of four people missing."
Sgt. Godfrey Abiah said police in the capital, Honiara, reported a wave several yards high had crashed ashore in the western town of Gizo shortly before communication lines with the region were cut.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 7:39 a.m. about 6 miles beneath the sea floor, 217 miles northwest of Honiara.
The Hawaii-based tsunami center issued tidal wave warnings for neighboring island nations, including Nauru, New Caledonia, Fiji and the Marshall Islands, following the earthquake, and tsunami watch alerts for countries that included New Zealand, Samoa, Guam, Kiribati and the Cook Islands.
"It was just like a real extreme tide. We didn't get like a huge big impact wave," Danny Kennedy, a dive shop owner and provincial politician on Gizo island. "The water just came up about probably about 12 to 15 feet above sea level, and kind of just went up into the communities and doused everything," he added.
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Hi, if anyone has more info on this story, please e-mail it to logic11@logic11.com (my father lives in gizo and I am having trouble getting actual details)
Posted by: Traverse Davies | April 1, 2007 9:03 PM
AS SO AS I HEARD ABOUT THIS TROUBLE GOING ON IS SOLOMON ISLAND ME AND MAH FAMILY PRAYED FOR YOU GUYS..TO ALL MAH BROTHAS AND MAH SISTAHS OUT THERE I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO BE PREPARE FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR..ME AND MAH HOPE THAT IN THE NAME OF JESUS EVERYBODY IS OK..I LOVE YOU ALL AND STAY STRONG BEFORE THE LORD..MAY GOD HEAL ALL YOU PAIN AND STRUGGLES RIGHT NOW..
LUV ALAWAYS
THE FETALAIGA FAMILY..
P.S. GODS TIMING IS NEAR SO BE READY
LUV YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS AMEN...
Posted by: CHARIS LEATIGAGA | April 2, 2007 12:10 AM
Charis...keep your Bible to yourself and learn how to spell. You wonder why people look down on black people in the US...or why Oprah gave her millions to Africa and not to African-Americans? It is because you are ignorant and refuse to be educated and allow yourself to be portrayed as illiterate and blindly assume that everyone shares your belief system. I bet you are also one of those performance Christians that makes it really obvious that you are praying when out eating at a restaraunt, as if god can't hear you without your attracting attention to yourself.
Adding something so horrible as a reminder of "Gods Timing" as referring to the destruction on The Rapture on the heels of people being killed in a high-tide title wave is disgusting. Do you even know where Solomon's Island is on a map? This is a science page. If you can't write or think (or even want to try to think) like a lover of science, than enjoy all the wisdom to be found on myspace. For my part, I am sending money to Solomon. Maybe you could get a job and do the same. They need that much more now than they need your prayers and religious predictions. Go get a tutor at the local college. Learn how to write and speak and think.
Travese, it wasn't bad. It was more like a high tide than a full smash hit. I have buddies near Gardner. They have shut power to be on the safe side, which may be why you can't talk to your dad. Granted, things have been moved around a bit, but your dad is probably fine, but annoyed.
Posted by: Good grief! | April 2, 2007 1:42 PM
Sounds like the islands were too close to the earthquake (or perhaps too small?) to build a full-scale tsunami.
GG: "Charis" is surely a troll, looking for attention. Generally the best response to trolls is to utterly ignore them. (Also known as "don't feed the trolls".)
Posted by: David Harmon | April 2, 2007 9:03 PM
The situation here is that in Gizo, a good number of people sustained injuries while hundreds were homeless.The death toll has now reached 24.I am writing from the Solomons capital, Honiara, where I work and reside.I come from the Western Province, where the tragedy is and been in contact by a few phonelines that are still working, people are left speechless.Parents are said to be searching for their children and relatives who have gone missing during yesterday's quake.The government is currently coordinating releif assistance to the affected through the National Disaster Management Office. A full assessment is yet to be made as assessment officers are still out in the islands.Everyone is shocked and still very frightened that the waves might return.Here in the capital, all is well, we have felt a few tremors but thats all.The affected parts are Western and Choiseul Province.I just spoke to a man from Munda few minutes ago by phone, people are still hiding in bushes on higher gorund.
Rozalee
Posted by: ROZALEE | April 2, 2007 11:28 PM
well this goes out to all them haterz out thea..
you know i did not come here to post a fit..well, what if i said all that to you..you dont know how it feels on losing a father okay..so if i were you keep your mouths SHUT....so to you david harmon get a life and know that im not here to get an attention..and as for you "BAD GRIEF" if you dont believe in mah GOD..then your missing the whole story and dont make fun of mah GOD or i'll make fun of your MAMA.... so peace out HATAZ
Posted by: charis leatigaga | June 16, 2007 2:37 AM