Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami September 29, 2009
The 8.0 Magnitude Quake Triggered Waves That Killed Over 170 People
Oct 20, 2009
The Tonga and Samoa region is situated on the fault line where the Pacific and Australia tectonic plates meet. The Pacific plate is slipping beneath (subducting) the Australia plate. The Australia and Pacific plate boundary is one of the most active earthquake areas in the world.
The day after the Samoa earthquake, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Sumatra Indonesia at 5:16 pm on September 30, 2009. Earlier that month, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Java Indonesia on September 2, 2009. All of these quakes occurred along the Australia/Pacific plat fault line.
Details of the 2009 Samoa Earthquake
The epicenter of the earthquake was 20 miles below the ocean floor at a distance of 125 miles from Samoa and 120 miles from American Samoa. The earthquake occurred at 6:48 am followed by five aftershocks throughout the day, ranging from 5.6 to 5.9 on the Richter scale.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii immediately issued an alert but the waves reached the islands within 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake. There was not sufficient time for the all residents of the coastal areas to evacuate to higher ground.
Both America Samoa and Samoa experienced four tsunami waves reaching a height of 15 to 20 feet approximately 15 minutes after the quake. The waves travelled at least for one mile inland. In Tonga, the waves were 13 feet high. Further away from the epicenter, in French Polynesia, the waves were approximately two feet high.
Damage Caused by the 2009 Samoa Earthquake and Tsunami
There were few reports of damage caused by the earthquake but the tsunami caused most of the destruction and death in the Samoa Islands and Tonga.
American Samoa
- At the National Park of American Samoa, the waves damaged a large portion of the park’s natural reserves. The main offices and visitor’s center were destroyed. There was extensive flooding and many buildings were flattened in Pago Pago, which is the largest city in American Samoa. Villages along the coastline were wiped out.
- The earthquake knocked out a generator at a power plant, at Satala resulting in long-term interruption of electricity to the village of Faga'alu and across Tutuila to the eastern village of Onenoa.
- Water lines that supply fresh water were broken and residents were required to boil their drinking water and rely on water being trucked in.
Samoa
- In the capital city of Apia, it was reported that very few buildings were left standing after the giant waves struck.
- Several coastal villages in the tourist area on the main island of Upolu were totally wiped out. There were landslides reported and extensive damage to plantations located near Apia.
- The worst hit areas in Samoa were Fagaloa Bay on the east coast, Lalomanu on the southeast coast plus all of the southern coast of Upolu.
Tonga
- The northern section of the island suffered the effects of the tsunami, with extensive damage on the island of Niuatoputapu. Over half the homes in the area were destroyed.
- The villages of Hihifo, Falehau and Vaipoa suffered damage and many families were homeless.
The effects of the tsunami were described in MSN News. “The waves splintered houses and left cars and boats — many battered and upside down — scattered about the coastline. Debris as small as a spoon and as large as a piece of masonry weighing several tons were strewn in the mud. “
Didi Afaufi, age 28, told MSN News that he was on a bus when the powerful tsunami waves hit American Samoa. He described the series of events. “With the water approaching fast, the bus driver sped to the top of a nearby mountain, where 300 to 500 people were gathered, including patients evacuated from the main hospital. Among them were newborns with IVs, crying children and frightened elderly people. “
Although not all missing bodies have been identified, the China View News revealed the death toll as of October 5, 2009. “The total tsunami death toll across the two Samoas and Tonga stood at 176. A total of 135 people died in Samoa and eight were missing after the tsunami. At least 32 people have died in American Samoa, while nine died in Tonga.”
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning immediately after the Samoan earthquake but due to the close proximity of the epicenter, only 10 minutes elapsed before the giant waves hit. Some people were able to climb up to higher ground but many did not make it.
By contrast, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 did not hit right away but due to no warning system in place, thousands of people were not aware of the giant wave that would eventually take their lives.
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