Tsunami

[tdw]

Reports in Oz media this morning of a Tsunami in the South Pacific following an earthquake off American Samoa. Quake registered 8.3. New Zealand east coast expecting wave to come onshore sometime in the next hour or so. Obvious potential for severe devastation amongst low lying island in the SP. Whole villages destroyed in American Samoa. Number of deaths.

Maybe the authorities are being overly cautious but is does sound like it could get nasty for NZ and has already got very nasty indeed for SP Islanders many of who do not have high country to run to.

'Villages wiped out' by killer tsunami - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[Cruisingdad]

Heard about that one Fluffy. Keep safe. Hope everone is alright.

Brian

[tdw]

Looks like various SP islands have taken a shellacking. Number of deaths in American Samoa have been reported. Outlying communities on smaller SP islands may have been hit but reports will be slow to come in.

While NZ is on alert apparently the waves that have so far come ashore have not caused any major damage or loss of life. Early reports suggested in excess of 2m but later say under .5 metre.

Australia is completely safe. Any surge that arrives here will be almost undetectable.

[SallyH]

First-hand report of the tsunami from cruisers at Pago Pago, Samoa:

HERE

Scary!

[Faster]

Another 7.6 shaker this morning in Western Indonesia..... "I feel the earth move....." Never experienced it, but it must just rattle your soul something awful - what's more "permanent" than terra firma?

[SallyH]

Cruising yacht in Samoa for sale in very sad circumstances. Please spread the word to help a fellow cruiser in distress.

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