7.9-Magnitude Quake Shakes Ocean 120 Miles Southwest of American Samoa

[cyberdalekyeti]

There is some breaking news a 7.9-Magnitude Quake Shakes Ocean 120 Miles Southwest of American Samoa
They have put out a tsunami warning for New Zealand, American Samoa, Hawaii and other pacific islands.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557282,00.html (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557282,00.html)

John

[cyberdalekyeti]

Update i am watching Foxnews the quake has now been increased to an 8.3 and a Tsunami has hit American Samoa.

[pattyk]

apparently the tsunami only went in about 100 feet (yards?) then receded

[Samm]

apparently the tsunami only went in about 100 feet (yards?) then receded

100 yards... the wave was measured at 1.7 meters.

I once camped on a beach on the south side of Samoa and stayed with a family who lived across the road (who owned the beach and invited us to stay) for several days. I don't remember the name of the village or the name of my host, but I hope they are ok. Their house was no more than 100 yards from the shoreline and probably less than 5 feet above sea level.

[SabercatPuck]

Tsunami hits American Samoa
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-09-29-pacific-earthquake-tsunami_N.htm?csp=34 (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-09-29-pacific-earthquake-tsunami_N.htm?csp=34)
PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of up to 8.3 struck in the South Pacific between Samoa and American Samoa around dawn Tuesday, sending terrified residents fleeing for higher ground as a tsunami swept ashore, flattening at least one village. There were no immediate reports of fatalities.
The quake hit at 6:48 a.m. Tuesday midway between the two island groups. In Apia, families reported shaking that lasted for up to three minutes. The U.S. Geological Survey, which estimated the magnitude at 8.0, said the quake struck 20 miles below the ocean floor, 120 miles from American Samoa and 125 miles from Samoa, with a 5.6-magnitude aftershock 20 minutes later.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center put the quake's magnitude at 8.3 and issued a general alert for the South Pacific region, from American Samoa to New Zealand. It said there were indications a tsunami wave could be "destructive" along some coastlines. Several hours away from the epicenter, Hawaii was put under a tsunami watch, with five emergency centers opened as a precaution.
New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale was leveled.

USA TODAY GRAPHIC: Undersea quakes spawn tsunamis (http://www.usatoday.com/weather/tg/wtsunami/wtsunami.htm)

"It was very quick. The whole village has been wiped out," Ansell told National Radio from a hill near Samoa's capital, Apia. "There's not a building standing. We've all clambered up hills, and one of our party has a broken leg. There will be people in a great lot of need 'round here."

A five-foot tsunami wave swept into Pago Pago, capital of American Samoa, shortly after the earthquake, sending sea water surging inland about 100 yards before receding, leaving some cars and debris stuck in mud. Electricity outages were reported, and telephone lines were jammed.
The staff of the port ran to higher ground, and police soon came by, telling residents to get inland. Several students were seen ransacking a gas station/convenience store.
In Fagatogo, water reached the waterfront town's meeting field and covered portions of the main highway, which also was plagued by rock slides.
In Samoa, the powerful quake jolted people awake.
"It was pretty strong; it was long and lasted at least two minutes," one resident told local radio.
"It's the strongest I have felt, and we ran outside. You could see all the trees and houses were shaking," he said.
Sulili Dusi told New Zealand's National Radio that "everything dropped on the floor and we thought the house was going to go down as well. Thank God, it didn't." Along with neighbors, they fled to high ground.
She said the tsunami hit the south side of the island, and some "cars have been taken." She did not elaborate, but added "we just thank God no life has been taken yet."
Another resident, Dean Phillips, said the southern coast of Upolu island had been struck by the tsunami.
"The police are sending everybody up to high ground," he said.
Local media said they had reports of some landslides in the Solosolo region of the main Samoan island of Upolu and damage to plantations in the countryside outside Apia.
There were no immediate reports of injury or serious damage from local emergency services, but people reported cracks in some homes and items tossed from shelves.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami warning for numerous islands in the Pacific, including the Samoas, the Cook Islands (http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Places,+Geography/States,+Territories,+Provinces,+Islands/Cook+Islands), Tonga, Fiji, New Zealand, French Polynesia and Palmyra Island.
The center posted a tsunami watch for Hawaii, Vanuatu, the Marshall Islands, Solomon Island, Johnston Island, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Wake Island, Midway Island and Pitcairn.
In New Zealand, a tsunami alert was issued by national Civil Defense, and the nation's national emergency center was activated.

[Samm]

100 yards... the wave was measured at 1.7 meters.

I once camped on a beach on the south side of Samoa and stayed with a family who lived across the road (who owned the beach and invited us to stay) for several days. I don't remember the name of the village or the name of my host, but I hope they are ok. Their house was no more than 100 yards from the shoreline and probably less than 5 feet above sea level.

I never throw anything away... I found the name of the family and have located the place where I stayed and have found that they still live in the same location. I also found the name of the brother-in-law who lived next door; both names and phone numbers are listed in the Pago Pago white pages and the PO Box of the family is still the same. That was 39 years ago...pretty amazing.

Can anyone help me find a web site that can trace e-mail addresses? As I said, I have phone numbers... will that help to trace an e-mail?

Here is the beach where I stayed... the family lives in the compound at the upper right of the photo where there is a large square building close to the road. There is nothing between them and the open sea except for that small reef and if you zoom out, you can see that the shape of the small bay would most likely magnify the wave height as it moved up the bay. I am quite concerned...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=samoa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.301969,56.162109&ie=UTF8&ll=-14.329237,-170.814636&spn=0.004366,0.006856&t=h&z=17

[Vaard]

not really breaking since it happened over 8 hours ago........

[Samm]

not really breaking since it happened over 8 hours ago........

Uh Vaard... the OP was posted almost 26 hours ago...

[pattyk]

heard there was another earthquake today in Peru?

[Samm]

heard there was another earthquake today in Peru?

Just a small one by Peruvian standards... 5.9.

But there was a series of quakes along the SE coast of Sumatra of 7.6, 5.5 and 6.6 over the last 24 hrs.

[Samm]

I never throw anything away... I found the name of the family and have located the place where I stayed and have found that they still live in the same location. I also found the name of the brother-in-law who lived next door; both names and phone numbers are listed in the Pago Pago white pages and the PO Box of the family is still the same. That was 39 years ago...pretty amazing.

Can anyone help me find a web site that can trace e-mail addresses? As I said, I have phone numbers... will that help to trace an e-mail?

Here is the beach where I stayed... the family lives in the compound at the upper right of the photo where there is a large square building close to the road. There is nothing between them and the open sea except for that small reef and if you zoom out, you can see that the shape of the small bay would most likely magnify the wave height as it moved up the bay. I am quite concerned...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=samoa&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.301969,56.162109&ie=UTF8&ll=-14.329237,-170.814636&spn=0.004366,0.006856&t=h&z=17

Anybody? I would sure like to get in contact with these folks and don't really want to try the phone and mail is too slow.

[pattyk]

Anybody? I would sure like to get in contact with these folks and don't really want to try the phone and mail is too slow.

wow. keep trying. but with that pic you sent it sounds like the property was involved.

they may be ok though