Samoa/Tonga Tsunami Update 1: Tsunami Devastates Samoa and American Samoa, Damage in Northern Tonga

Monday morning at 06:48:11 Samoan local time (2009 September 29, 17:48:11 UTC), a magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck to the south of the main Samoan Island chain with its epicentre 190 km south of the Samoan capital Apia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a series of Regional Tsunami Warning and related advisories.

News reports of severe damage and death have been coming in all day from across both Samoa and American Samoa. Some reports of damage and deaths are also coming out of locations in the northern and north-central of Tonga. 47 people have been confirmed dead in Samoa with some news media reporting 63. 24 people are confirmed dead in American Samoa and 6 people are confirmed dead in Tonga. Many more people are injured and many have been reported missing.

News reports can be found on Radio New Zealand International, TVNZ and on Relief Web.

The following is a list of the main earthquake and aftershocks that have hit the area from the USGS.

MAG DATE TIME LONG LAT DEP LOCATION
5.3 2009/09/30 05:24:51 -15.351 -173.380 10.0 TONGA
4.8 2009/09/30 04:46:23 -16.349 -172.249 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.0 2009/09/30 04:03:12 -15.621 -173.351 10.0 TONGA
4.6 2009/09/30 03:18:10 -15.776 -172.773 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.0 2009/09/30 02:47:27 -15.723 -173.142 10.0 TONGA
4.7 2009/09/30 02:39:09 -16.233 -172.911 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.0 2009/09/30 02:29:34 -16.617 -173.038 10.0 TONGA
5.1 2009/09/30 01:39:50 -15.483 -173.383 10.0 TONGA
4.9 2009/09/30 01:30:40 -15.526 -172.581 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
4.9 2009/09/30 01:16:18 -15.577 -172.043 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.1 2009/09/30 01:09:30 -14.972 -173.612 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.2 2009/09/30 01:05:35 -14.914 -173.245 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.1 2009/09/30 00:40:52 -15.460 -172.931 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
4.8 2009/09/30 00:27:53 -15.029 -173.137 10.0 TONGA
4.9 2009/09/30 00:22:38 -15.380 -173.481 10.0 TONGA
5.0 2009/09/30 00:11:38 -15.992 -172.243 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
4.9 2009/09/29 23:51:43 -15.134 -171.944 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.9 2009/09/29 23:45:03 -15.840 -172.531 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.4 2009/09/29 23:32:57 -15.539 -173.322 10.0 TONGA
5.5 2009/09/29 23:11:52 -15.565 -173.365 10.0 TONGA
4.9 2009/09/29 22:41:46 -15.200 -172.899 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.1 2009/09/29 22:08:30 -15.345 -173.387 10.0 TONGA
4.9 2009/09/29 21:51:01 -16.174 -172.533 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.0 2009/09/29 21:28:57 -17.205 -173.002 10.0 TONGA
5.2 2009/09/29 18:57:59 -16.067 -173.125 10.0 TONGA
5.0 2009/09/29 18:46:02 -14.953 -173.329 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.4 2009/09/29 18:40:11 -15.347 -173.296 10.0 TONGA
5.1 2009/09/29 18:34:30 -14.871 -172.493 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
5.0 2009/09/29 18:29:26 -15.948 -173.231 10.0 TONGA
5.8 2009/09/29 18:21:43 -16.197 -173.069 10.0 TONGA
5.6 2009/09/29 18:20:27 -12.191 -161.602 10.0 NORTHERN COOK ISLANDS
5.6 2009/09/29 18:08:22 -15.467 -172.092 10.0 SAMOA ISLANDS
8.0 2009/09/29 17:48:11 -15.558 -172.073 18.0 SAMOA ISLANDS

APCEDI will continue to monitor this situation as more details become clear.
________________________________

Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator

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