Earthquake near American Samoa--tsunami warning issued

[Nerys Ghemor]

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

Please take note...if you live in Hawaii, New Zealand (particularly Auckland), or any nearby Pacific island, a tsunami warning has been issued. The direction of the most intense part of the tsunami is unknown, and I am not sure where to go to get information on the ETA of the tsunami.

That said, I would not hang around the beaches or low-lying areas if I were you. If you are in an area that would flood if hit by hurricane/typhoon storm surge or has a history of tsunami damage, and the tsunami is indicated to be coming in your direction, please give thought to moving to higher ground.

If anyone knows where to get more detailed, accurate information, please feel free to post.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Hmm. Might see some higher tides here in CA.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

OK...just heard on TV that there have been aftershocks. Not as intense as the original earthquake, but it underscores the need to remain vigilant even if the first wave passes you OK, as sometimes aftershocks can become very intense.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I live in CA; i know all about earthquakes. I do hope that everyone in the areas under the warning will be OK.

 

[Lindley]

Looks like a small one hit American Samoa.

 

[Candlelight]

Well I'm screwed.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/2916140/Tsunami-on-way-to-NZ-after-Samoa-quake

I have until 12.31pm (3.5 hours from now).

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Take care--make sure you're in a safe area!

 

[Candlelight]

I normally go for a walk at lunch so I'll do the hill route today and make sure I take a camera and post images here.

I'm a few metres above sea level but am in a coastal city.

Just checked - the tsunami that hit American Samoa was 1.5 metres high. It might flood the city!

 

[CaptJack]

Here is an article on LiveScience about the quake:
http://www.livescience.com/environment/090929-somoa-earthquake-tsunami.html

And here is the map of estimated tsunami arrival times linked to in the article:
http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagedisplay/img_display.php?s=environment&c=news&l=on&pic=090929-tsunami-times-02.jpg∩=An+estimate+of+tsunami+travel+times+to+the+coastlines+around+the+Pacific+Basin.+Australia+is+at+lower-left%2C+Japan+near+upper-left%2C+and+the+United+States+near+upper+right.+Credit%3A+NOAA&title=

 

[Rii]

Stay safe guys.

If anyone knows where to get more detailed, accurate information, please feel free to post.

http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/

Latest bulletin at time of post: http://www.prh.noaa.gov/ptwc/messages/pacific/2009/pacific.2009.09.29.202119.txt

 

[Candlelight]

Just watching the news:

- 6 metre high wave in Samoa, five dead.
- 14 dead in American Samoa.
- 40cm high wave hit NZ and then the tsunami alert was cancelled, but then alarms went off at the Kermadec islands warning of a larger wave, so it was reinstated!

 

[RJDiogenes]

Damn. Nineteen dead. I hope that's the end of it.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Damn. That's horrible.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

Well, I certainly hope that was the last of the deaths!

 

[Candlelight]

Death toll now at 28.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/2916140/Deaths-toll-rises-after-quake-tsunami-hit-Samoa

Lyall Preston and a group of holidaymakers from Dargaville in Northland watched from higher ground as the tsunami hit their Sinalei resort located on Samoa's southern coastline.

The group then witnessed the bodies of three young children wash towards them.

Speaking to Dargaville and Districts News, Collen Preston said her son found three little children dead.

"He is just traumatised".

"My son noticed early this morning that the tide had gone right out so he organised for the group to run to higher ground and they watched as the tsunami hit."

Ms Preston believes the group were not warned that a tsunami was coming.

"Most of the hotel they were staying at was washed away."

More updates:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/south-pacific/2916915/Sea-disappeared-then-swallowed-resort

 

[trampledamage]

oh no...

 

[Crusher Disciple]

I'm not able to open the links. It must be the spike in traffic to their site.

 

[Candlelight]

Death toll now at 34 or 42 depending on which site you go to, but estimates put it near 100. There's a lot of places they haven't reached yet.

Wake up tomorrow and It'll be more.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Just heard it on MSNBC. They said 39. At least.

 

[Dorian Thompson]

Damn, Candlelight, I'm sure sorry. What horrible news.