Tropical Cyclone Dovi February 2022

This week Norfolk Island residents and visitors were advised to prepare for a tropical Storm. TC Dovi formed in the tropics near Vanuatu and New Caledonia. The cyclone was predicted to pass approximately 200 km to the West of Norfolk Island on Friday night, the 11th February, and Saturday morning as a Category 3 storm and high winds and swells were expected.

On Friday afternoon the winds were picking up and swells were growing at Cascade Bay on the North-eastern side of Norfolk Island. I drove to Cascade Pier later in the afternoon and joined many locals as we all watched and photographed the 4 to 6 metre swells crashing into the Cascade Pier, the massive waves sending sea spray into the air as the waves wrapped around the pier and up onto the pier’s entry driveway. The forecast on Willy Weather was for 8 to 9 metre swells in the middle of the night, I could only imagine what those waves would look like and the noise they would make.

Through the night the wind picked up and later in the evening it was roaring through our valley, and there was also driving rain beating against our windows. The internet was in and out, which I expected with he weather conditions and amazingly the power stayed on all night. Around 2am, the wind gust had dropped a little and I checked the Australia weather BOM updates, and the top gusts had been recorded at 93km/h. We had been lucky that TC Dovi had stayed out to sea, and we didn’t get the full impact of the Category 3 tropical storm.

On Saturday morning when the storm had passed and the social media post showed the roads were clear, I returned to Cascade Pier to see the aftermath of the cyclone. Massive boulders had been thrown up from along the Cascade Pier coastal area onto the roadway and the entry onto the pier had been blocked with these massive rocks which must weight many tons, some half the size of a car and there were over a hundred rocks and boulders across the roadway. The swells were still rolling in and smashing into the Cascade Pier and the fury of the storm over night shows the power of the ocean, which is not easy to tame.

There are suggestions that a slip way or groyne should be constructed at the Cascade Pier to assist with shipping and possible future barge services. Overseas engineers have presented designs in recent years, but it is always wise to talk to local Norfolk Islanders as they have the experience of sea conditions around Norfolk Island coastlines. In 2016, and 2017 the Cascade Pier was upgraded and extended approximately 25 metres, the new deflector along the side of the Pier must have angled the waves to water blast the massive boulders up onto the land and roadway.

Luckily there did not appear to be much damage around Norfolk Island during the cyclone. I read about some trees down on properties and a large tree fall down in Anson Bay and Captain Cook area, and the power was affected in the Anson Bay and northern end of Norfolk Island area. Thank you to everyone who assisted with the clean up and repairing the power service for those who were affected.

I am sure everyone caught up with sleep on Saturday night, it was so quiet after the roar of the wind on Friday night and what a relief to have the humidity drop and cooler temperatures after the heat wave of the past few weeks. Here are a few images I took on the weekend at Cascade Pier, showing the waves and swells, plus the massive rocks and boulders that were thrown onto the pier roadway, turning it into a rocky road.

Betty Matthews

February 2022