Tsunami in American Samoa

This morning we experienced the strongest earthquake to date living on the island. Our kitchen cupboards were rattling, ceiling fans were swaying, and items were falling off shelves. Typically, we feel very subtle quakes that leave one wondering if a large truck just drove by. Today was different. We felt about 90 seconds of violent shaking followed by several aftershocks. We discussed the possibility of a tsunami, but having been warned of a 4-inch tsunami last year we didn’t take it very seriously. We live in an area of higher ground away from the ocean so it was not an issue being in the house. Paul decided to head into work and I was fine staying home with the girls.

Ten minutes after Paul left my neighbor came running over saying a major tsunami warning was in effect. I turned on the local radio station and sure enough they were reporting an 8.0 earthquake with a tsunami coming. I nervously listened as the Samoan d.j. started saying a huge 15-20 foot wave was coming towards the office building. She even starting praying for all of us, and then the radio station went to static. Talk about dramatic. This was especially significant as the radio station is in the same office building in Pago Pago as the National Park. I knew Paul wouldn’t be in the office yet, but it was equally worrisome thinking of him driving along the ocean. I have full faith in Paul’s abilities in a situation like this, but I was not looking forward to potential hours of worrying not knowing where he was.

Thankfully, Paul walked in the door a short time later, having been stopped by a police blockade. At this point we were getting some live news on CNN and the internet, but it was a lot of speculation. We finally were able to contact the superintendent at the National Park and were asked to assist if we could. We left the girls with the neighbors and headed into Pago Pago.

Most of the villages along the way looked fine. We did notice some mud and rocks on the road and more trash in the ocean than usual. As soon as we entered Pago Pago, it was a different story. There was major debris everywhere. Road crews were working to clear the road and we were able to get to Pago Plaza. It literally looked like a bomb had gone off. Cars and buses were flipped over. Paul’s boss' car is seen here, wedged into the second story of a building.
This is the back side of Pago Plaza, followed by the destruction on the first floor of the building.
The first floor of the National Park office was completely destroyed. We worked for a few hours trying to salvage things from the mud and water. A running joke during the cleanup was that this employee’s office was actually improved after the tsunami.
This is what was left of the NPSA visitor center.
Don't Drink the Water, a popular lunch spot, was recently renovated and is now in ruins.
As we worked we listened to people’s accounts of the tsunami. Apparently, there were a total of four major waves. Most of the staff ran upstairs for the first wave, but after having 8 foot high water fill the downstairs and listening to vehicles slam into the building, they questioned the building’s stability. After the first wave, they left and ran up the mountain. Reports of deaths were coming in fast. NPS staff recovered six bodies right after the tsunami. 22 deaths have now been confirmed and seeing all the rubble we suspect there may be more. All National Park Service staff and volunteers were accounted for and all 44 people survived.
We walked around Pago Pago seeing the devastation. It was amazing the amount of random items everywhere. This large boat ended up in the community bingo center.
Many other boats ended up in odd places.
Roadways and sidewalks were destroyed.
The vehicles everywhere really showed the force of the water. National Park vehicles were found under bridges, smashed against trees, even a quarter of a mile down the road.
It was heart wrenching to see the homes. Some people lost everything. More importantly, though, most people were safe in the hills when the tsunami hit.
One of the hardest parts of the day was the looting. Watching people at their worst was not something I will soon forget. People were looting stores, vehicles, offices, really anything they could get their hands on. Cars that were overturned were soon missing their tires as thieves came by. Some people were literally scavenging before a woman’s body was even removed. A lighter moment was some guy walking off with a couple volumes of the National Park Service law and policy books.
Luckily, the tsunami seems to have hit the major Pago area and only a few other villages. It could have been a lot worse. If people had been asleep or more people were on their way to school and work, many more lives would have been lost. We are grateful to be safe.