Tom Luxsox Coins

American Samoa

Danger In The Pacific: The Samoa Tsunami

With the help of my colleague, Alex Molina, I recently wrote about the realistic danger that tsunamis posed to the west coast of the United States.
I had vastly underestimated the damage a tsunami can do, and the last two days, after reading about the 8.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that followed, I also got to watch the Pacific Ocean’s tsunami warning system in action.

In the case of Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga, the earthquake’s epicenter and aftershocks were in some cases less than 100 miles from the coastlines. This meant that the early warning system had little time to warn anyone. At this time, over 111 people are reported missing or dead from the three Pacific territories, and that count is expected to be considerably higher once emergency personnel make it to hard to access, outlying areas. In some cases, the waves came as far as a mile inland.

From reports from the wire services and people I’ve talked to in American Samoa, the only immediate warning for the tsunami most people received were the cell phone calls made by forward-thinking family. Common sense dictated that if an earthquake was both near enough and powerful enough to damage buildings, a tsunami was on its way. While many villages were literally swept completely into the Pacific Ocean, most people managed to get to high ground and escaped with their lives.

In the future, these three areas, particularly American Samoa, since it is under jurisdiction of FEMA and the US Government, will have to improve their Tsunami warning system up to the high standard set by the state of Oregon, which includes blue sirens all along the coast, and regularly scheduled tsunami drills in all the public schools.

Now for the good news
Otherwise, the new system in the Pacific seems to be working well. In all fairness, the tsunami that hit American Samoa was practically a point-blank shot and we did not have the benefit of the buoys to warn us of what was coming. Once the tsunami had time to move out and start hitting buoys, however, we had a clear picture of when the waves would hit Hawaii, Japan, the west coast of the United States, and other Pacific area at risk.

Warnings were made well in advance, and ships were able to seek deeper, safer waters, tsunami watches and warnings went into effect, and quickly out of effect, once the NOAA knew the waves had lost considerable power and size and represented little threat.

Even in far away, Venice Beach, California, lifeguards advised people to get out of the water in advance of the waves, and the tsunami showed up right on time. Apparently there wasn’t much punch left, but I’m sure the state of California is relieved. Still, the unfortunate and low lying town of Crescent City, California was battered by a 1.5 foot peak over normal tides – a size comparable to the largest waves to hit Hawaii after the quake. State officials, knowing the town’s vulnerability to tsunamis, were able to take the right precautions, however, and other than a scare to the local fish, no one was harmed and no property damage was reported.

Putting this into perspective
As we speak, a much deadlier weather event has left over 300 dead and thousands homeless, as Typhoon Ketsana has slammed into the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. As much as 80% of Manila is underwater. A second quake hit Indonesia today, a 7.6 magnitude quake, scaring everyone up into the hills. Considering it was an 8.0 quake in the same area that prompted the 2004 Tsunami of infamy, I can’t say they overreacted. If I felt a strong earthquake on any coastline, I would hightail it at least a mile into the hills as well.
The tsunami that resulted from it was less that a foot, smaller than what hit Hawaii or Crescent City, California from the Samoa earthquake. Officials were able to call off the warnings and people soon returned to their normal lives.

In the world of extreme weather events, we can only still guess at exactly what a hurricane will do or where it will go. This is true of many weather events, be they floods, tornadoes, even a wildfire. Earthquakes are the worst of all, and give no warning, but unless you are close to the epicenter, tsunamis are at least predictable in the Pacific, thanks to the work of the US and Japanese governments.

At this point in time, we have the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, (which is also where the fancy map comes from) headquartered in Hawaii, that watches all the tidal buoys in the Pacific Ocean at all times and gives us a very clear picture of what is going on out there. While they can’t do much to warn of a tsunami when it first starts it’s trek from the ocean floor, they certainly can track it within a few minutes of when it will land.

My heart goes out to the victims of Typhoon Ketsana and the recent Samoan tsunami, but I’m relieved that our relatively new typhoon tracking system has seen it’s first real test.
Many scientists agree that at some point in the 21st century, we will see a quake and tsunami on the scale of the Cascadian Tsunami from 300 years ago. Without a working warning system in place, the results could be far worse than the Indonesian Tsunami of 2004.

Now that our tidal warning system has seen a full dress rehearsal, I feel much better about being prepared if the big one does indeed come.

About the Author

Ryan W. Campbell is an assistant editor for the newly launched Pameno.com. You can read more of his work there.

Ryan is from the Texas Gulf Coast and is a 16 year veteran of the United States Navy. He's a fan of motorcycles, extreme weather, camping, and fishing.

American Samoa Flag $2.49 American Samoa Flag Vinyl Sticker American Samoa flag on a vinyl sticker.

Map of American Samoa, Pacific $24.99 Map of American Samoa, Pacific - Photographic Print

Ofu Island, American Samoa $24.99 Peter Hendrie Ofu Island, American Samoa - Photographic Print

Scenic View of American Samoa $39.99 Wolcott Henry Scenic View of American Samoa - Photographic Print

American Samoa $79.66 American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa). The main (largest and most populous) island is Tutuila, with the Manua Islands, Rose Atoll, and Swains Island also included in the territory. American Samoa is part of the Samoan Islands chain, located west of the Cook Islands, north of Tonga, and some 300 miles (500 km) south of Tokelau. To the west are the islands of the Wallis and Futuna group. The 2000 census showed a total population of 57,291. The total land area is 200.22 km2 (77 sq mi), slightly more than Washington, D.C. Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 92 Publication Date: 2009/11/04 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.22 inches

Rugby Union in American Samoa $79.66 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Rugby union in American Samoa is a growing sport. The governing body is the American Samoa Rugby Union. Rugby has been played to an extremely high level in neighbouring Western Samoa, which has reached the World Cup on a number of occasions, and whose team calls itself Manu Samoa meaning the Samoan team. Many immigrants to American Samoa come from Western Samoa, but in American Samoa itself, the game is overshadowed by American Football. The American Samoa national rugby union team has not competed in a world cup yet. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 104 Publication Date: 2010/08/16 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.25 inches

Tafuna, American Samoa $71.7 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles Tafuna is a village on the east coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa. It is located on a peninsular a mile north of Pago Pago International Airport and one mile south of Nuuuli, American Samoa. Tafuna is the largest village in American Samoa, with a population of 8,209 according to the US Census in 2000, and is the center of nightlife on the island. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 76 Publication Date: 2010/12/27 Language: English Dimensions: 6.00 x 9.02 x 0.18 inches

Forested Hills, Beach and Lagoon, American Samoa $24.99 Peter Hendrie Forested Hills, Beach and Lagoon, American Samoa - Photographic Print

The Economic Competitiveness of American Samoa $210 Is American Samoa competitive? With the globalization of markets, the increased mobility of corporate assets, and the need for productive human resources, this question has become all the more complex to answer. This report was prepared to tackle this question by focussing on certain fundamentals: financial performance and labor productivity.

Tau, American Samoa $65.33 Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Ta is the largest island in the Manua Group and the easternmost volcanic island of the Samoan Islands. Ta is part of American Samoa. In the early 19th century, the island was sometimes called Opoun. The island is the eroded remnant of a hotspot shield volcano with a caldera complex or collapse feature (Liu Bench) on the south face. The summit of the island, called Lata Mountain, is at an elevation of 931 metres (3,054 ft), making it the highest point in American Samoa. The last known volcanic eruption in the Manua Islands was in 1866, on the submarine ridge that extends westnorthwest towards nearby OfuOlosega. Author: Surhone, Lambert M./ Tennoe, Mariam T./ Henssonow, Susan F. Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 72 Publication Date: 2011/07/20 Language: English Dimensions: 9.00 x 6.00 x 0.17 inches

Samoa $99.99 Samoa - Wood Sign

Pimpin' American Samoa American samoa Hoodie dark by CafePress $45 Stay warm on the inside. Look oh-so-cool on the outside. Don this comfortable fleece sweatshirt for that dress-down BBQ -- or your next dress-to-impress trip to the mall.10 oz. fleece blend 90% cotton/10% polyesterFleece-lined hoo American samoa Hoodie dark Stay warm on the inside. Look oh-so-cool on the outside. Don this comfortable fleece sweatshirt for that dress-down BBQ -- or your next dress-to-impress trip to the mall.10 oz. fleece blend 90% cotton/10% polyester. Fleece-lined hoo

Boy Sleeping Outside Vaoto Lodge, Manua'a Islands, American Samoa $24.99 Peter Hendrie Boy Sleeping Outside Vaoto Lodge, Manua'a Islands, American Samoa - Photographic Print

Flying Fox Bats Hang from a Limb in an American Samoa Rainforest $39.99 Randy Olson Flying Fox Bats Hang from a Limb in an American Samoa Rainforest - Photographic Print

South Pacific Survivor: In Samoa $14.03 Former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer to Samoa pens thriller rich with deadly action, clashing egos, and battles for power. "If you like intricately plotted political thrillers, in exotic cultural settings, this book is for you" Don Messerschmidt, anthropologist, author, and magazine editor. An assassin decapitates a U.S. congressman in American Samoa then enters Independent Samoa to hunt more targets. Hot on his trail is Polynesian beauty Pua, the sole agent of the Samoan Secret Service, who must protect the Samoan national leader -her grandfather. With an anti-colonial chip on her shoulder and a black belt to back it up, she faces a down-on-his-luck CIA agent and a rogue New Zealand diplomat. They close in on each other and the warrior-assassin as they race to discover a well-kept secret regarding Samoa's future kept by the historical figure Robert Louis Stevenson. Letters from Stevenson attest to "the ongoing warring between royal families," which threatens - then and now - to erupt into civil war; and uncovering a long-buried manuscript would virtually guarantee it. As murders mount, a riot rips through the capital, a Chinese agent works her own agenda, and military ships and a hurricane approach. Pua and Ken, the CIA agent, must figure out how to put aside the past and harness their growing attraction to catch the killer and prevent the archipelago from disintegrating. "A fast-paced, multi-faceted tale that will keep you entertained from start to finish . . ." The author, Kevin Daley, brings to life Samoa's culture as he weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and human foibles. After the Peace Corps, he attended law school at Howard University. His law firm is located in Cambridge, MA. He is also an adjunct professor. Kevin has a black belt in karate awarded by a Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee. He lives in Reading, Massachusetts, USA.

American Samoa Hawaii Zip Hoodie by CafePress $45 American Samoa Zip Hoodie Hawaii Zip Hoodie Zip around town in style with this zip-up hooded sweatshirt. Made of soft fleece, it keeps you and anyone next to you toasty. Yet it's rugged enough for impromptu games of touch football.10 oz. fleece blend 90% cotton/10% polyester.

American Samoa Flag Samoan License Plate Frame by CafePress $18 American Samoa Flag clothing, items Give a gift to celebrate Samoan heritage. Show your Samoa colors or show your Samoan pride with the Samoa Flag proudly displayed at home or football soccer match. Samoan License Plate Frame . A real roadside attraction, get your driver's attitude or cause across on this cool License Plate Frame. Constructed of sturdy, durable, shiny chrome that makes your message POP. Images are applied with a permanent adhesive weatherproof decal. UV and w

American Samoa Flag Samoan Zip Hoodie dark by CafePress $45 American Samoa Flag clothing, items Give a gift to celebrate Samoan heritage. Show your Samoa colors or show your Samoan pride with the Samoa Flag proudly displayed at home or football soccer match. Samoan Zip Hoodie dark Zip around town in style with this zip-up hooded sweatshirt. Made of soft fleece, it keeps you and anyone next to you toasty. Yet it's rugged enough for impromptu games of touch football.10 oz. fleece blend 90% cotton/10% polyester.

American Samoa-Related Lists : List of Birds of American Samoa, Outline of American Samoa, Index of American Samoa-Related Articles $10.39 No Synopsis Available

Films Set in American Samoa $7.39 No Synopsis Available

Volcanoes of American Samoa $7.55 No Synopsis Available

Samoa (American) - A 'Spy' Guide $97.45 No Synopsis Available

American Samoa Hawaii Light T-Shirt by CafePress $22 American Samoa Hawaii Light T-Shirt Tee, TShirt, Shirt This light t-shirt will be fashionable even after the zombie Apocalypse. In fact, this shirt might be the very reason you'll survive said Apocalypse. The light color shows you aren't worried about getting stains - and even if you were, those stains show t

Tuna Being Unloaded from Boats at Van Camp Tuna Co. Cannery in American Samoa $79.99 Carl Mydans Tuna Being Unloaded from Boats at Van Camp Tuna Co. Cannery in American Samoa - Premium Photographic Print