Editing History of Tuvalu (section)

===Cyclone Bebe 1972===
[[File:Ocean side Funafuti.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Ocean side of [[Funafuti]] atoll showing the storm dunes, the highest point on the atoll.]]
In 1972 Funafuti was in the path of [[Cyclone Bebe]] during the [[1972–73 South Pacific cyclone season]]. Cyclone Bebe was a pre-season [[tropical cyclone]] that impacted the [[Gilbert Islands|Gilbert]], [[Ellice Islands]], and [[Fiji]] island groups.<ref name="BOM1975">Bureau of Meteorology (1975) ''Tropical Cyclones in the Northern Australian Regions 1971–1972'' Australian Government Publishing Service</ref> First spotted on 20 October, the system intensified and grew in size through 22 October. At about 4 p.m. on Saturday 21 October sea water was bubbling through the coral on the airfield with the water reaching a height of about 4–5 feet high. Cyclone Bebe continued through Sunday 22 October. The Ellice Islands Colony's ship ''Moanaraoi'' was in the lagoon and survived, however 3 tuna boats were wrecked. Waves broke over the atoll. Five people died, two adults and a 3-month-old child were swept away by waves, and two sailors from the tuna boats were drowned.<ref name="HB72"/> Cyclone Bebe knocked down 95% of the houses and trees.<ref name="JRBebe">{{cite web| last =Resture| first =Jane|title=Hurricane Bebe Left 19 People Dead And Thousands Misplaced In Fiji and Tuvalu| publisher= Janeresture.com|date =14 October 2022| url=https://www.janeresture.com/hurricane-bebe/| access-date=3 December 2023}}</ref> The storm surge created a wall of coral rubble along the ocean side of Funafuti and [[Funafala]] that was about {{convert|10|mi}} long, and about {{convert|10|to|20|ft|m}} thick at the bottom.<ref name="HB72"/><ref name="MJE">{{cite journal |author= Maragos J.E., Baines G.B., Beveridge P.J.|title= Tropical Cyclone creates a New Land Formation on Funafuti |journal= Science  |volume= 181|year= 1973 |issue= 4105 |pages=1161–4|doi= 10.1126/science.181.4105.1161|pmid= 17744290 |s2cid= 35546293 }}</ref><ref name="BGBKE">{{cite journal |author= Baines, G.B.K., Beveridge, P.J. & Maragos, J.E.|title= Storms and island building at Funafuti Atoll, Ellice Islands |journal= Proceedings of the 2nd Int. Coral Reef Symposium |year= 1974 }}</ref><ref name="NG15">{{cite web| last = Warne | first = Kennedy | work= National Geographic |title= Will Pacific Island Nations Disappear as Seas Rise? Maybe Not – Reef islands can grow and change shape as sediments shift, studies show |date=13 February 2015|url= http://news-beta.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/150213-tuvalu-sopoaga-kench-kiribati-maldives-cyclone-marshall-islands/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150214031223/http://news-beta.nationalgeographic.com/2015/02/150213-tuvalu-sopoaga-kench-kiribati-maldives-cyclone-marshall-islands/|url-status= dead|archive-date= 14 February 2015| access-date=14 February 2015}}</ref> The cyclone submerged Funafuti and sources of drinking water were contaminated as a result of the system's storm surge and fresh water flooding; with severe damages to houses and installations.<ref name="PIM1973-5">{{cite web| last =| first =  | work= 44(5) Pacific Islands Monthly |title=Life bounces back in the Ellice|date =1 May 1966|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-336976092/view?sectionId=nla.obj-340950828&partId=nla.obj-337014010#page/n22/mode/1up| access-date=2 October 2021}}</ref>