During the course of studies on Midway, one tsunami struck 
the islands. This occurred at about 0700 on the morning of 9 March 
1957. The sea level was raised 3 feet at Midway, and large waves 
flooded portions of the island. In certain areas many young albatrosses 
were washed away or drowned, but the tidewaters had little effect on 
the total number of young albatrosses. 
During the same period, three typhoons or hurricanes occurred 
in the general area. None of these passed close enough to Midway to 
have any noticeable meteorologic effects, but one of them had marked 
oceanographic effects at Midway. This was typhoon Ophelia which 
generated high storm tides at Midway, and throughout the Leeward 
Chain, on 11-13 January 1958. During peak intensity, which lasted 
about 12 hours, 30-foot surf was breaking over the reef. Inside the 
lagoon, 12-foot breakers were pounding the beaches of Sand and Eastern 
Islands. In many areas the force of the waves breached the dunes and 
flooded large areas inland, from which the water could not escape. 
This storm brought disaster to the black-footed albatross nests on 
the open beaches, and also flooded many nests farther inland. After 
these storm tides, a count was made of all black-footed albatross 
nests in areas affected by the tides on Sand Island. These counts, 
-compared with the counts made at the beginning of the season, are as 
follows (for areas, see Kenyon, et al. 1958, fig.1): 
Number Number Percent 
of nests of nests loss 
Area . originally after storm 
1 1797 1340 26 
2 2504 812 68 
3 261 52 80 
4 89 (89) not affected 
5 539 (539) " us 
6 331 (331) " ie 
7 399 158 60 
8 268 (268) " Ms 
Total 6,188 3,589 42 
A small part of the above mortality can be attributed to 
other causes before the storm, but the storm tides probably accounted 
for a mortality of over 35 percent of the 42 percent average. Laysan 
albatrosses nests were not seriously affected by these storm tides, 
except in small local areas. 
The small low islets of Pearl and Hermes Reef are even more 
vulnerable to high water than are the larger, higher islands at Midway. 
To determine the effects of the storm tides on albatrosses nesting 
there, a flight was made over all the islets on 24 January 1958. Re- 
peated passes, at an altitude of about 50 feet, were made over each 
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