Danger on the seas as walls of water sink tankers

The Observer (U.K.) ^ | 11/10/2002 | Robin McKie and Mark Townsend

[Pokey78]

Anyone remember the big wave that hit Daytona Beach some years ago? Did they ever determine the cause?

[billorites]

Art Bell ping!

[americafirst]

They said it was caused by a seismic event. If it had occurred 6 hours earlier, it would have been a disaster. I think it happened in the 92/93 timeframe

[DB]

There is a theory that every once in awhile many small random waves simply happen to line up together (or join together in phase) and produce a much larger wave than normal.

[Consort]

That's how Shelly Winters died.

[Lokibob]

From a Daytona newspaper:

It's been 10 years since the attack of the 'rogue' wave
Staff report

This summer marked the 10th anniversary of a freak event in Daytona Beach that received international coverage.

No, we're not talking about Richard Petty dropping out of the Pepsi 400 race after only 82 laps.

On July 3, 1992, at about 11 p.m., a huge "rogue" wave rolled out of a calm ocean and crashed onto the beach, swamping hundreds of cars parked near the Boardwalk and sending frightened late-night beachwalkers scurrying for dry land.

The cause of the jumbo wave has never been officially explained, but theories ranged from an offshore weather system and underwater methane gas "burp" to nuclear submarines stationed off the coast to protect the President of the United States -- who was coming to town for the NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway.

Witnesses reported that there appeared to have been two or three waves with the main one up to 18 feet high. The surge hit the beach and washed over cars, smashing windows and pushing some vehicles into other cars.

"It was the strangest thing I've ever seen," said John Kirvan, who at the time was Volusia County's chief beach ranger.

Vacationer Roy Bennett was at the Boardwalk with his wife playing video games when they decided to walk down to the beach. As they walked, Bennett told a newspaper reporter, "I saw this huge wall of white water. It was real quiet."

Bennett said he and his wife ran for their lives. "If we hadn't run, we'd have been pinched in between cars," he said, "or cars would have been on top of us."

The first plausible explanation for the errant wave came from an oceanographer who said he believed an underwater landslide was the culprit. A few days later, however, he changed his mind, saying he believed an unusual combination of weather conditions may have triggered it.

Others theorized the giant wave resulted from a meteorite (or perhaps even a flying saucer) crashing into the ocean, an explosion of some kind, or clandestine maneuvers by a nuclear submarine.

President George Bush's July 4 visit to Daytona International Speedway fueled the nuclear sub theory espoused by some, who recalled reports that U.S. subs were stationed offshore when President Reagan was in Daytona Beach on July 4, 1984, for NASCAR's Firecracker 400 race (Richard Petty won that one).

Destination Daytona tourism officials reported they fielded several out-of-state calls from people who asked, "Does this happen often?" and "Has the beach been washed away?"

The rogue wave received international publicity, especially in sensational tabloids. "Thousands Terrorized" screamed a headline in the Daily Mail of London.

The 11 o'clock surprise prompted numerous tongue-in-cheek letters to the editor of The News-Journal, including one from "All Shook Up" who suggested the wave was punishment to the "sinful populace" that was declaring "allegiance to a false king" -- referring to race car legend "King" Richard Petty, who was driving in his final Daytona Beach race that weekend. The wave of wrath, wrote All Shook Up, was a warning from "The True King, Elvis."

Another reader, W.F. Hood, had the final word: "Everybody knows it's Godzilla."

[Pokey78]

Thanks!

[11B3]

Strange that the US Navy (who is at sea 24/7/365) hasnt' reported any of these. (I know, they can't tell anyone.)

[per loin]

As memory has it, Shackleton ran into one of these, and survived it.

[Cicero]

About 35 years ago, I was walking on the beach in Oregon at low tide, not far from the bank, with a baby strapped to my back, a small daughter about three years old holding my hand, and a long-haired dachshund on a leash trotting alongside. It was a wide, flat sandy beach, and the ocean was a long way off, hundreds of yards. All of a sudden a huge wave came in out of nowhere. I jumped up on a huge piece of driftwood nearby--a dead douglas fir about three or four feet in diameter and maybe a hundred feet long. The wave roared up the beach and picked up the tree I was standing on like a toothpick.

I had yanked my daughter up with me by one arm and swung the dog several times around my head by the leash with my other arm to keep him out of the water. Luckily the wave just picked up the tree, lifted it a few feet, and receded without carrying the tree away with it. There was just that one wave, and then the water drained back to where it was originally. A scary experience.

[StACase]

I just saw Ghost Ship which is about as believable as killer waves.

[marktwain]

Wow.

Sometimes things just happen.

I am empressed with your reactions

So, what is the status of dog and children now?

[Cicero]

The two children are now married with children. The dog died long since of old age but is still fondly remembered. At the moment our only dog is a bloodhound.

[Flint]

The München was not a super tanker. It was a general cargo ship carrying containers and break bulk cargo. The company I work for lost two very large machines valued at ca. US$1.5 million when the München went down. The vessel was a Hapag Lloyd vessel. I knew the Port Captain for HL in Savannah, the vessel was enroute to Savannah, and he lost quite a few of his friends. The vessel was traveling in very heavy seas and he felt that some cargo shifted and cracked the hull, the crack rapidly parted and took the vessel in half it went down in about 20 min. He deduced this from the two radio messages that were transmitted before it was gone. This guy was qualifed to be the captain of that vessel and knew what he was talking about.

[ExpatCanuck]

That's how Shelly Winters died.

That's hilarious, but we're showing our age Jimer.

[Alas Babylon!]

She may have died, but, you know, there's got to be a morning after.

[MHGinTN]

An under water landslide can release a large volume of methane gas trapped beneath a hydrate layer. The 'bubble' would surface and create a pretty good wave, with size of the wave depending on the size of the bubble that surfaced. The event might happen in a staggered pattern on the sea floor and result in an additive energy effect to create a massive wave. Once a wave generates, it moves unabated over the surface of the ocean unless it interacts with an object (like an island or another wave system or a current whorl).

[Young Werther]

So what you're saying is:

The sea FARTED!

[MHGinTN]

You got it! Incidentally, methane gas is odorless and tasteless and highly flammable.

[Musket]

I often take hiking vacations on the Oregon and Northern California Coast and range and just about every piece of literature on the subject warns of these "rouge waves" so they must happen pretty often. You're the first person that I've met(online) that's actually experienced one. Wow! Must have scared the crap out of you all. Like they say, never turn your back on the ocean!

Thanks for the first person account!