40-50ft. Tsunami Hit American Samoa, Warnings Up for U.S. West Coast and Hawaii

[JCMach1]

A tsunami ripped across islands of the South Pacific, wiping out several villages and killing at least 34 people in Samoa and American Samoa, with the number of dead expected to escalate as more bodies are found.

Most of the damage appeared to have occurred in the Samoan islands, which include Samoa, a small nation of about 220,000 people, and American Samoa, a U.S. territory nearby with about 65,000 people.

President Barack Obama declared a "major disaster" in American Samoa and ordered federal aid for the area.

View Slideshow

Associated Press

A boat from Malaloa Marina is seen on the edge of the main highway in the village of Fagatogo in American Samoa.
video
Tsunami Hits Samoa, Wipes Out Village
1:50

Reporting from Wellington, New Zealand, Dow Jones Newswires' Simon Louisson tells The News Hub at least one village in Samoa was wiped out by a tsunami wave. The wave followed a massive earthquake that struck close to the Pacific Island group.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued a tsunami advisory for the U.S. West Coast late Tuesday, warning of potentially strong currents or dangerous waves, though it said "significant widespread inundation" wasn't expected.

The Japan Meterological Agency Wednesday issued a tsunami advisory affecting the country's eastern coast and outlying islands. No initial damage was reported. A tsunami advisory is lower in importance than a tsunami warning.

The giant waves in the South Pacific followed a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, that struck about 120 miles off the Samoan coast at 6:48 a.m. local time Tuesday.

Large swells began rolling into populated areas soon afterward, sweeping some people and cars out to sea, demolishing buildings and covering roads in debris, mud and large fish.

Meteorological officials declared tsunami warnings for a number of South Pacific islands, including Fiji and Tonga, as well as New Zealand, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center later canceled the tsunami warnings after the waves had passed... http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125425141765950133.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

Slide Show is Here of the aftermath http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125425141765950133.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories#project%3DSLIDESHOW08%26s%3DSB125427369255451383%26articleTabs%3Dslideshow

Any news from the West Coast?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. the warning was removed a few hours ago

[JCMach1]

4. Hawaii, or West Coast?

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. The West Coast never even got a watch up

The state issued an advisory however

[sandnsea]

12. There is an NOAA advisory up

http://origin-wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

[babylonsister]

5. I read that also. nt

[ezgoingrl]

2. I don't think it's supposed to hit the West Coast

until early Wednesday morning, if it hits.

[gwsuperfan]

6. San Diego

Will see it about 9:20 PM, but it'll only be about 15cm if the predictions are correct.

[tabatha]

3. It is only 65cm, about 2 feet - so there is no cause for alarm.

http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=22855&linkSource=edhat.com

But currents could be very strong.

[JCMach1]

7. Looks small for U.S. West Coast

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/29/MNVF19UP8P.DTL&tsp=1

[grasswire]

9. watch along oregon coast

supposed to hit in about an hour. last I heard on the news they expected the high tide to be three feet higher than usual.

[sandnsea]

11. The NOAA predicts less than a foot

http://origin-wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/previous.events/09-29-09-Samoa/09-29-09.html

[cbayer]

10. Currently in a South facing harbor off the coast of Southern California.

First wave was supposed to arrive here about 15 minutes ago. It may be a little bit rollier than usual, but nothing much felt.

Thanks goodness.

[EFerrari]

13. The coastal winds that we get here in the SJ foothills every afternoon

were much stronger than usual today, earlier and really cold. It was amazing.

[cbayer]

15. There is a gale out near San Nicolas and Santa Rosa - coming from the west-northwest.

We were sailing from Santa Barbara Island to Catalina, and you are right, it was really cold and got windy late in the afternoon.

But I don't think it's related to this event at all. They had been predicting the gale for days.

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. The wind is not related to the quake

you are correct.

Coincidences...

Now I know why it got colder though. I SHOULD pay closer attention to Marine weather, never do... not since I stopped doing EMS.

[grasswire]

18. what a life you have!

Sailing from Catalina to Santa Barbara!

:-O

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Personally I had an eye to taking birds to truck and driving up high

:-)

When we only got an advisory I went... ok, energy will dissipate, mostly, by the time it gets here.

Today was a lesson in geology and physics

[cbayer]

16. The Coast Guard is still issuing the advisory out here, and we

weren't sure whether we should take the boat further out or stay put. But other than some higher and stronger tide currents, I don't think we are going to get much effect in Southern California.

Me? Relieved!

:hi: