APCEDI Alert SP/CI 15P Rene #4-2010: Cyclone Rene Batters American Samoa, Bears Down on Samoa and Tonga

The RSMC-Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre and the US National Weather Service are issuing guidance on Cyclone Rene, a tropical cyclone that is battering American Samoa and moving later today onto the Samoa and Tonga Regions.

Cyclone Rene is currently located 40 miles (65 kms) northeast of Manu'a in American Samoa or 100 miles (160 kms) northeast of Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. It is moving west-southwest at 12 kts. Maximum sustained winds are 60 kts making Rene a borderline Category 1 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. Cyclone Rene is expected to slowly strengthen into tomorrow and is forecast to reach Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson Scale moves out of American Samoa and into Tonga. Most models are forecasting Cyclone Rene to continue moving southwesterly over the next 24 hours.

American Samoa continues to bear the impact of Cyclone Rene, and the US National Weather Service is maintaining a Hurricane Warning for most of the region including all major islands.

Radio New Zealand International is reporting that the international airport in the capital, Pago Pago, has been closed. All government offices have also been closed for the day so that employees can secure their homes. All government schools, the community college and most private schools are closed. The cyclone began battering American Samoa's Manu'a island group at about 9am on Friday. There are reports of roofs being blown away and trees uprooted but none of any injuries.

A Gale Warning is now in effect for Samoa, and Cyclone Alerts have been raised for all of Tonga and Niue. Residents and interests in Samoa, Tonga, Niue and Fiji's Lau Group should monitor the storm closely, complete all cyclone preaprations as required and follow all Government advice as Cyclone Rene could pose a threat in 12-48 hours.

All cyclone warnings have been lowered for the Cook Islands.

The following is an interactive list of the situation in each island group:

AMERICAN SAMOA

HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MANU'A GROUP (population 1,700), TUTUILA (population 55,000) AND AUNUU (population 500).

SAMOA

A GALE WARNING AND FLOOD ADVISORY IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR UPOLU ISLAND (population 135,000). A GALE WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR SAVAI'I (population 43,000).

TONGA

A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT REMAINS IN FORCE FOR TONGA.

A GALE WARNING IS NOW IN-FORCE FOR NIUAFO’OU (population 650), NIUATOPUTAPU (population 940) AND TAFAHI (population 90).

A STRONG WIND WARNING IS ALSO IN FORCE FOR THE REST OF TONGA.

NIUE

A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT IS NOW IN FORCE AND.
A STRONG WIND WARNING IS NOW IN FORCE FOR NIUE (population 1,400)

TROPICAL CYCLONE RENE - LOCAL STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PAGO PAGO AS
1200 PM SST FRI FEB 12 2010

...A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TUTUILA AUNUU AND MANU'A...

...NEW INFORMATION...
HURRICANE RENE WAS LOCATED NEAR 14.0 SOUTH 169.0 WEST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF MANU'A...OR ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF TUTUILA AT 10 AM SST LOCAL TIME FRIDAY... MOVING SOUTHWESTWARD AT 10 MPH. IF RENE CONTINUES TO MOVE ON THIS TRACK...IT WILL BE OVER MANU'A AROUND 3 PM TODAY...AND WILL BE NEAR TUTUILA AROUND 10 PM FRIDAY NIGHT.

...AREAS AFFECTED...
THIS LOCAL STATEMENT PROVIDES IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR PEOPLE AND MARINE INTERESTS IN TUTUILA...AUNUU AND MANUA.

...WATCHES/WARNINGS...
A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MANU'A TUTUILA AND AUNUU.

...STORM INFORMATION...
AT 1100 AM SST...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE RENE WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.0 SOUTH... LONGITUDE 169.0 EAST OR ABOUT 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF MANU'A...OR 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF TUTUILA.

RENE IS MOVING TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH AND INTENSIFYING AS IT MOVES WEST-SOUTHWEST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE 75 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 12 TO 24 HOURS AS RENE APPROACHES TUTUILA.

...PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
ALL RESIDENTS ON MANU'A SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE HURRICANE EYE PASSES MANU'A. AS THE EYE PASSES MANU'A...YOU WILL EXPECT CALM WINDS AND FAIR WEATHER. HOWEVER...STRONGER WINDS WILL RETURN AS THE BACK SIDE OF THE HURRICANE MOVES AWAY FROM THE REST OF THE MANU'A ISLANDS THIS AFTERNOON.DO NOT BE FOOLED TO LEAVE YOUR HOME UNTIL RENE MOVES FARTHER AWAY FROM YOUR LOCATION.

ALL RESIDENTS ON TUTUILA AND AUNU'U SHOULD TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. PREPARATIONS SUCH AS SECURING TENTS AND LOOSE ITEMS...AND TYING DOWN AND BOARDING OF HOME SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY NOW.

HEED THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS AND COMPLY WITH ANY ORDERS THAT ARE ISSUED. SMALL CRAFT SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT OR SEEK SAFE HARBOR. FOR INTERESTS AT PORTS...DOCKS...AND MARINAS...IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PERFORM THE PRESCRIBED PREPARATIONS ACCORDING TO YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN FOR HURRICANE RENE. IF YOU LIVE ON A BOAT...YOU SHOULD HAVE SAFELY SECURED YOUR CRAFT AND MAKE PLANS TO LEAVE IT FOR ADEQUATE LAND BASED SHELTER.

FOR ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONARY AND PREPAREDNESS INFORMATION...PLEASE REFER TO THE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS RELATIVE TO YOUR LOCATION AS FURTHER DESCRIBED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE AND YOUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER MANAGEMENT.

...WIND IMPACTS...
MANU'A...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OF 60 TO 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90 MPH. WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO NEAR 40 TO 55 MPH SATURDAY MORNING.

TUTUILA AND AUNUU...SOUTH WINDS 25 TO 40 MPH INCREASING TO 45 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH THIS AFTERNOON...THEN CONTINUE INCREASING TO HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OF 65 TO 75 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 90 MPH FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

...STORM SURGE AND STORM TIDE...
DANGEROUS SURF HEIGHTS OF 15 TO 18 FEET ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT NORTH...EAST AND SOUTHEAST FACING SHORES ON TUTUILA...AUNUU AND MANUA.

RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES WITH ISOLATED 6 INCH TOTAL ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE PATH OF RENE PARTICULARLY OVER TUTUILA AUNUU AND MANU'A.

...NEXT UPDATES...
THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED AT 300 PM SST FRIDAY.

APCEDI will continue to monitor the progress of this system.

Please go to http://www.afap.org/apcedi/ for the complete interactive alert on Cyclone Rene.
________________________________________
Kevin Vang
APCEDI Coordinator

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