Magnitude 7.9 - SAMOA ISLANDS REGION

USGS ^ | 9/28 | USGS

[ShadowAce]

Aargh! I used the wrong multiplier in my head.

9-14 feet.

[null and void]

Think of a meter as 3 feet + tax...

[null and void]

12-20 feet

10-13

[XenaLee]

Wow. Isn’t that a bigger tsunami than the Indonesian one? My dad was stationed at PagoPago when he was in the naval air force. He said they had tarantulas everywhere as big as dinner plates! Not a place I’d want to visit, much less live.

Those poor people.

[XenaLee]

That is about 1-1/2 stories then, right? Bad enough, but not as bad as the Indonesian tsunami, according to this:

“The Indian Ocean tsunami caused waves as high as 50 feet (15 meters) in some places, according to news reports. But in many other places witnesses described a rapid surging of the ocean, more like an extremely powerful river or a flood than the advance and retreat of giant waves. “

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1227_041226_tsunami.html

[thouworm]

late update — the loss of life could have been much, much worse, but still...so many lives uprooted and villages destroyed.:

New Zealand’s government said there were serious concerns about the neighboring island nation of Tonga after a 4-meter (13-foot) wave hit its northern coast. Tongan officials said they feared five people had been killed.

(snip)

“There have been reports of villages, where most of the houses have been run over by the sea,” he said.

“Some areas have been flattened and the tsunami had brought a lot of sand onshore...

(snip)

In American Samoa, a U.S. territory, the death toll was officially 14, but could rise, said officials.

“The whole southern side of the island is devastated,” said Soloalii Faalepo, executive director of the American Samoan government office in Honolulu.

A series of four waves hit Pago Pago, swamping the harbourside business center and temporarily closing the airport.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/09/29/world/international-us-quake-pacific.html?em

[XenaLee]

The sad thing is, when the Indonesian tsunami hit, the US was able to send them millions in aid. Now, we’re fresh out of cash and flat broke. Seems like the rest of the world will have to get used to the idea that the USA is no longer their biggest or richest benefactor. Besides, I suspect that Zero will be sending US money to Kenya from now on. Odinga needs a new set of wheels & pad.

Oh well, I hope the death toll stays low. We’ll see tomorrow.

[DieHard the Hunter]

> Don’t know much about New Zealand but that we have at least one FReeper there.

(grin!) Cheers, mate — the first I heard of the tsunami threat was during the 10 PM news. Apparently there was a Civil Defense warning (the sirens didn’t sound where I live) but it was largely a non-event here.

I feel sorry for the folks in Samoa as they have been hit rather badly. Doubtless our Prime Minister will be offering aid soon, if he hasn’t already.

[oldteen]

Happy to hear you were not affected. Praying for those who were. All I ever have to worry about here are those pesky earthquakes and fires. (Although we’re not in any direct line for the earthquakes were are in the dry foothills.)

Stay safe.