Samoa Tsunami Update

Samoa Tsunami: Images and Update

The tsunami occurred after a  massive earthquake measuring up to 8.4 Mw struck in the Samoa Islands Region about 185 km (115 miles) east-northeast of Hihifo, Tonga and 195 km (125 miles) south  of APIA, Samoa.

According to various reports

• A series of of three or more tsunamis struck into the Pacific islands of American and Western Samoa destroying villages
• At least 4 villages were wiped off.
• Dozens of people, including many children, were  swept out to sea

• As many as 100 people have been killed, with many hundred more injured

• U.S. President Obama has declared American Samoa a major disaster area
• A 4-meter (13-foot) wave hit the  northern coast of Tonga.
• A Pacific-wide tsunami warning was issued, but later canceled.

• Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a local tsunami warning for its east coast, warning of a possible tsunami waves measuring up to 50cm.
• The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later reported that small tsunami waves had indeed reached Hawaii, and warned swimmers and boats that the waves could prove dangerous.
• Several  South Pacific island nations reported rising sea levels.

Formerly Leone village, American Samoa. Photograph: Ardie Roque/EPA. Image may be subject to copyright.

Cont…

• The southern section of American Samoa’s main Tutuila island  was “devastated,” its governor said, with at least 24 people  killed and twice as many injured.
• As video images come in,  the extent of the damage becomes more evident with homes destroyed by the waves, large fishing boats hurled ashore, and vehicles piled on top of each other.
• “Some areas have been flattened and the tsunami brought a lot of sand onshore, so there have been reports the sand has covered some of the bodies,” Western Samoa’s disaster management office said.

• “They are still continuing the searches for any missing bodies in the area,” they said, adding that the southern section of their country’s main island of Upolu was the worst hit.

A section of Fagatogo, Tutuila Island, Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa, is seen inundated after the tsunami struck. Photograph: Fili Sagapolutele/AP.  Image may be subject to copyright.

Related Links:

• Magnitude 8.3 Quake Strikes Samoa Islands Region
• The Largest Earthquake

Magnitude 7.9 Quake Strikes Tonga Region

A Powerful 7.9 Mw Quake Strikes Tonga Region

A magnitude 5.3 Mw foreshock followed the mainshock about two hours later. Further seismic and volcanic activity in the region can be expected.

This Earthquake

[Data provided by USGS Earthquake Hazard Program]

Magnitude: 7.9

Date and time:

• Thursday, March 19, 2009 at 18:17:40 UTC
• Friday, March 20, 2009 at 06:17:40 AM at epicenter

Location: 23.021°S, 174.700°W
Depth:  34 km (21.1 miles) set by location program
Region:  TONGA REGION
Distances:

• 215 km (135 miles) SSE of NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga
• 490 km (305 miles) S of Neiafu, Tonga
• 490 km (305 miles) ESE of Ndoi Island, Fiji
• 1845 km (1140 miles) NE of Auckland, New Zealand

Location Uncertainty:  horizontal +/- 6 km (3.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Source:  USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID: us2009ejbr

10-degree Map Centered at 25°S,175°W

USGS Map of the quake area. Color code for the aftershock changed for contrast.

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (NOAA)

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 002
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1932Z 19 MAR 2009

THIS BULLETIN APPLIES TO AREAS WITHIN AND BORDERING THE PACIFIC
OCEAN AND ADJACENT SEAS…EXCEPT ALASKA…BRITISH COLUMBIA…
WASHINGTON…OREGON AND CALIFORNIA.

… A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT …

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

TONGA / NIUE / KERMADEC IS / AMERICAN SAMOA / SAMOA /
WALLIS-FUTUNA / FIJI

EVALUATION

SEA LEVEL READINGS CONFIRM THAT A TSUNAMI WAS GENERATED. THIS
TSUNAMI MAY HAVE BEEN DESTRUCTIVE ALONG COASTLINES OF THE REGION
NEAR THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION SHOULD
TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION IN RESPONSE TO THIS POSSIBILITY. THIS
CENTER WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR SEA LEVEL GAUGES NEAREST THE
REGION AND REPORT IF ANY ADDITIONAL TSUNAMI WAVE ACTIVITY. THE
WARNING WILL NOT EXPAND TO OTHER AREAS OF THE PACIFIC UNLESS
ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED TO WARRANT SUCH AN EXPANSION.

FOR AFFECTED AREAS – WHEN NO MAJOR WAVES ARE OBSERVED FOR TWO
HOURS AFTER THE ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL OR DAMAGING WAVES HAVE
NOT OCCURRED FOR AT LEAST TWO HOURS THEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAN
ASSUME THE THREAT IS PASSED. DANGER TO BOATS AND COASTAL
STRUCTURES CAN CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS DUE TO RAPID CURRENTS.
AS LOCAL CONDITIONS CAN CAUSE A WIDE VARIATION IN TSUNAMI WAVE
ACTION THE ALL CLEAR DETERMINATION MUST BE MADE BY LOCAL
AUTHORITIES.

ESTIMATED INITIAL TSUNAMI WAVE ARRIVAL TIMES AT FORECAST POINTS
WITHIN THE WARNING AND WATCH AREAS ARE GIVEN BELOW. ACTUAL
ARRIVAL TIMES MAY DIFFER AND THE INITIAL WAVE MAY NOT BE THE
LARGEST. A TSUNAMI IS A SERIES OF WAVES AND THE TIME BETWEEN
SUCCESSIVE WAVES CAN BE FIVE MINUTES TO ONE HOUR.

LOCATION FORECAST POINT COORDINATES ARRIVAL TIME
——————————– ———— ————
TONGA NUKUALOFA: 21.0S 175.2W;  18:45UTC 19 MAR
NIUE NIUE IS.:  19.0S 170.0W;  19:04UTC 19 MAR
KERMADEC IS RAOUL IS.: 29.2S 177.9W; 19:12UTC 19 MAR
AMERICAN SAMOA PAGO PAGO:  14.3S 170.7W; 19:25UTC 19 MAR
SAMOA APIA: 13.8S 171.8W; 19:34UTC 19 MAR
WALLIS-FUTUNA WALLIS IS.: 13.2S 176.2W; 19:47UTC 19 MAR
FIJI SUVA:  18.1S 178.4E; 20:03UTC 19 MAR

Tsunami Warning Update:
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 3
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
1009 AM HST THU MAR 19 2009
[Message truncated]

EVALUATION

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS CANCELLED THE REGIONAL
TSUNAMI WARNING IT ISSUED FOR ANOTHER PART OF THE PACIFIC. BASED
ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE TSUNAMI THREAT TO
HAWAII AND THE ADVISORY FOR HAWAII IS ALSO CANCELLED.

HOWEVER… SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL
NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS
LASTING UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. THE ESTIMATED TIME SUCH EFFECTS
MIGHT BEGIN IS

0236 PM HST THU 19 MAR 2009

THIS WILL BE THE FINAL MESSAGE ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS
ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.