Apia Samoa complete devasted from huge surge of Cyclone Evan!!! 3 deaths now...A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT IS NOW FOR NIUAFO'OU IN TONGA

Two children are believed to be the first fatalities of a savage cyclone that has hit Samoa.

The small but powerful Cyclone Evan has battered the country, inflicting a severe ocean surge on the capital Apia. The city has been largely evacuated due to massive damage.

The Disaster Management Office (DMO) has not confirmed the deaths, but as is traditional in Samoa, families have posted announcement on state radio, advising of the family tragedy.

The children are believed to have drowned near Apia Park, a low lying area in the eastern side of the capital.


Earlier this evening DMO reported that a feared ocean surge was hitting the northern coast of Samoa, including Apia.

"The storm surge is hitting us now, it is really high, 12 to 15 feet (3.6 to 4.5 metres)," a DMO official said on a failing phone line.

Phones and electricity are out across much of the country and tourists in the Aleipata area of south eastern Samoa have fled the coast.

There are believed to be dozens of New Zealand tourists in the area.
[link to www.stuff.co.nz]
"They have gone up higher but the wind is very strong and there is going to be damage there."

An early indication of the ferocity of the surge and heavy flooding is a report from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs which has closed the High Commission on Beach Road, Apia, because of severe damage.

Ryan Maue @RyanMaue 5h
Cyclone Evan could have really caused a major disaster w/explosive intensification prior to landfall. JTWC estimated 80-knots, seems low.
·
Ryan Maue @RyanMaue 5h
Very briefly, Cyclone Evan created a 9 nm diameter pin-point eye prior to interacting with American Samoa. [link to www.ssd.noaa.gov]

Hurricane HD @HurricaneHD 1h
SP Tropical Cyclone Evan Advisory: 6, 80 kt/92 mph winds, 13.9S 171.4W, ne at 4 kt/5 mph, #tropics #fb

Updated: Thursday, 13 December, 2012 at 04:05 UTC
Description
Samoa has issued a disaster declaration after assessing initial damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Evan. The storm with its sustained winds of 90 kilometres an hour, and gusts to 130 kilometres per hour has brought heavy rain and storm surges of up to three metres. Cyclone Evan is expected to move back west and affect Tonga and Fiji. The Samoa Disaster Management Office says at this stage it can cope with the clean-up out of existing funds and does not need international assistance. A spokesperson, Filamena Nelson says the main problems are fallen trees with many obstructing roads and bringing power lines down cutting electricity. She says some homes have been damaged by the trees but there are no reports of deaths or injuries.

"Our Deputy Prime Minister just signed a Declaration of Disaster which is made under our Disaster and Emergency Management Act 2007 and this is effective for forty eight hours. The extension of that will very much depend on the situation." Filamena Nelson says the whole of Samoa has been affected by high winds and surface flooding. The terminal at Faleolo airport has suffered some damage but the runway is intact. Air New Zealand says its Auckland-Apia flight this morning was cancelled and weather permitting, a special charter flight is planned for Friday to accommodate disrupted passengers. Our correspondent in American Samoa, Monica Miller says the streets of Pago Pago are quiet and people are anxious as they wait to see if the cyclone will hit the Territory as predicted.

"The town is emptying out as people head home. The American Samoa Government has closed down. A lot of companies are also closed, the banks are closed, the Post Office is closed. Starkist Samoa has now also, this is the biggest employer with two thousand emplyees has just now announced that they have closed for today and tomorrow." Fiji’s Meteorological Service says Cyclone Evan may well become more intense as it turns towards Tonga and Fiji. The Director of the Met Service Alipate Waqaicelua says Tonga’s northern islands, Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou, are being warned of damaging gale force winds within the next two days. He says Fiji may be directly affected on Sunday. "The land mass of Samoa has interfered with the intensity and its structure so it might appear it had weakened but we expect this cyclone to retain a category two or even intensify further as it turns toward the west and heads towards Tonga and Fiji." Alipate Waqaicelua says high and damaging sea swells are a feature of the cyclone and marine warnings are in place. Spokesman from the Tonga Disaster Office says an official is meeting a committee up north to help with preparations of the cyclone’s approach, where up to a thousand people could be affected.
[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

Fiji Meteorological Services
Tropical Cyclone Advisory #10
SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE EVAN, CATEGORY THREE (04F)
18:00 PM FST December 13 2012
===================================

A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT IS NOW IN FORCE FOR NIUATOPUTAPU AND NIUAFO'OU IN TONGA

At 6:00 AM UTC, Severe Tropical Cyclone Evan (975 hPa) located at 14.0S 171.2W has 10 minute sustained winds of 65 knots. The cyclone is reported as moving east at 3 knots. Position good based on hourly GMS infrared imagery and peripheral surface reports.

Hurricane Force Winds
========================
20 NM from the center

Storm Force Winds
====================
35 NM from the center

Gale Force Winds
================
60 NM from the center

Deep convection persistent past 12 hours. Cyclone intensifying over the last 12 hours. EVAN lies under an upper diffluent region. Outflow good to the south. System lies in a low sheared environment. Sea surface temperature is around 30C. Dvorak analysis based on embedded center LG surround yielding DT=4.5, MET=4.0, PT=4.5. Final T number based on DT.

Dvorak Intensity: T4.5/4.5/D1.0/24 HRS

Forecast and Intensity
=====================
12 HRS: 14.0S 171.1W - 70 knots (CAT 3/Severe Tropical Cyclone)
24 HRS: 14.1S 171.7W - 75 knots (CAT 3/Severe Tropical Cyclone)
48 HRS: 14.9S 174.9W - 85 knots (CAT 3/Severe Tropical Cyclone)

TROPICAL CYCLONE EVAN CENTRE 975HPA CATEGORY 2 WAS LOCATED NEAR 14.0 SOUTH 171.5
WEST AT 130000 UTC.
POSITION FAIR.
REPEAT POSITION 14.0S 171.5W at 130000 UTC.
CYCLONE MOVING EAST AT 6 KNOTS. CYCLONE INTENSIFYING.
EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OF 60 KNOTS CLOSE TO THE CENTRE, INCREASING TO 65 KNOTS
BY 140000.
EXPECT SUSTAINED WINDS OVER 47 KNOTS WITHIN 25 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE
EXPECT WINDS OVER 33 KNOTS WITHIN 45 NAUTICAL MILES IN NE QUADRANT
AND WITHIN 40 NAUTICAL MILES IN SE QUADRANT
AND WITHIN 45 NAUTICAL MILES IN SW QUADRANT
AND WITHIN 60 NAUTICAL MILES IN NW QUADRANT

FORECAST POSITION NEAR 13.9S 170.9W AT 131200 UTC
AND NEAR 14.0S 171.2W AT 140000 UTC.

ALL VESSELS WITHIN 300 NAUTICAL MILES OF CENTRE ARE REQUESTED TO SEND REPORTS
EVERY THREE HOURS TO RSMC NADI. VOS REPORTING SHIPS USE NORMAL CHANNELS. OTHER
VESSELS FAX PLUS 679 6720190 OR EMAIL NADITCC AT MET DOT GOV DOT FJ

TROPICAL CYCLONE THREAT TRACK MAP

Tropical Cyclone EVAN Category 2 [link to www.met.gov.fj] [link to www.met.gov.fj]

JTWC is thinking Evan will be a category 4 by Friday: [link to www.usno.navy.mil]

(((samoa)))

another one: Mauritius Meteorological Services
Tropical Cyclone Advisory #29
DEPRESSION EXTRATROPICALE CLAUDIA (04-20122013)
10:30 AM RET December 13 2012
======================================

At 6:00 AM UTC, Extratropical Cyclone, Former Claudia (995 hPa) located at 28.6S 76.8E has 10 minute sustained winds of 35 knots with gusts of 50 knots. The cyclone is reported as moving southeast at 15 knots.

Dvorak Intensity: NIL

Gale Force Winds
================
100 NM in the eastern semi-circle

Near Gale Force Winds
=====================
45 NM radius from the center, extending up to 60 NM in the southwestern quadrant, up to 175 NM in the northeastern quadrant and up to 215 NM in the southeastern quadrant

Forecast and Intensity
======================
24 HRS: 31.4S 79.2E - Depression Extratropicale
48 HRS: 34.3S 83.4E - Depression Extratropicale
72 HRS: 38.5S 94.4E - Depression Extratropicale

Additional Information
=====================
Last OSCAT pass at 1856 PM UTC shows a very asymmetrical winds, with the strongest winds far from the center in the eastern semi-circle, due to the gradient with the high pressures in the east.

Global philosophy remains the same: gradual speed up in a southeastwards track and then, Saturday, over the southern edge of the subtropical ridge, an eastwards motion at a slower rate.

Winds might remain strong until Friday in the eastern then northern sectors by gradient effect with the subtropical high pressures.

Last warning about this system, unless re-intensification, it will be closely monitored until final dissipation into FQIO21 FMEE warning.

Extreme Weather in Australia on Thursday, 13 December, 2012 at 10:44 (10:44 AM) UTC.

Description
The State Emergency Service has answered more than 100 calls for help after a severe thunderstorm hit Rockingham and Mandurah overnight. Mandurah received more than 70mm of rain. About 4600 homes were without power this morning. And more wild weather is on its way today with heavy rain and damaging winds expected to hit the metropolitan area. Reported damage mainly involved flooding and roof damage. SES volunteers have been working in the Rockingham area, making repairs to homes, fixing minor roof damage, removing fallen trees from homes, cars and fences, sandbagging areas in danger of flooding and pumping out flood water.
[link to hisz.rsoe.hu]

thanks for the updates luis!

Thank's i'm trying to find more news...

Good job buddy

Right now it's 2:42 AM of Friday, December 14, in Apia

No more news should come until dawn...



And what about American Samoa? Pago Pago destroyed too?

A TROPICAL CYCLONE ALERT IS NOW IN FORCE FOR NIUATOPUTAPU AND NIUAFO'OU IN TONGA
Can anyone explain why Tonga is under a TC alert. Tonga is 560 miles SW of Samoa and TC Evan is going to turn back west and head towards Fiji. [link to www.nrlmry.navy.mil]


Tonga is the lower part of the group of Islands SW of TC Evan's current location.

no, not american samoa

TC Evan is just sitting over Samoa continually pounding them with 65kt winds and 80kt gusts also driving rains. [link to www.ssd.noaa.gov] [link to www.ssd.noaa.gov]

Two people have been confirmed dead as Cyclone Evan causes widespread destruction around the Samoan capital of Apia.

The category-two storm made landfall in Apia earlier today, bringing heavy rainfall and winds of up to 110 kilometres per hour.

A state of disaster has now been declared.

Homes and crops have been destroyed, rivers flooded, trees and power lines toppled, roads cut and office buildings damaged.

The cyclone, thought to be one of the most powerful to hit the Pacific nation in 20 years, also forced the closure of the airport.

Storm and flood warnings have been issued, with forecasts that it will cause a sea surge of more than three metres along the Samoan coast.

Evan is expected to make landfall in neighbouring American Samoa tonight.

Neville Koop, the meteorology and climate adviser to the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program, has told Radio Australia that Evan is expected to eventually head south towards Fiji, which is also preparing for rough weather.
Earlier today, Samoa Metservice forecaster Mulipola Austalia Titimaea told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program that the capital was experiencing high winds.

"At the moment some of our observation stations are experiencing gale-force winds, mainly in the exposed coastal areas and highlands."

Some damage has already been reported at Apia's airport, including a collapsed walkway.

Local reporter Cherelle Jackson says trees have been torn down in Apia and there has been flash flooding across Apia.

"There has been flash flooding all over town, blocking the roads, and people have been kept from their homes," she told Pacific Beat, adding that emergency services were working to clear the roads.

"Just where I am two of our neighbours have evacuated. Their houses have been flattened. Power poles are down, breadfruit trees, taro trees, banana trees - the staple of part of our diet, they're just all over the road."

Monica Miller, Radio Australia's reporter in Pago Pago, says people have been boarding up their homes and schools are closed.

"Some of the people started making preparations yesterday, while others started this morning," she said.

"There are designated shelters, usually church halls, that people can go to if they are inundated."

Evan is the first named cyclone of the South Pacific's summer cyclone season.

The UN Disaster Management Office in Samoa and the country's disaster advisory committee have met to discuss the potential impact and necessary preparedness measures.
[link to www.abc.net.au]

[link to www.youtube.com]

oh... so sad to hear this...

I know one wonderful family on the Island of Savai' in Western Samoa... and another wonderful family in Nuku'Alofa in Tonga... I have such wonderful memories of time spent there with these people...

There's very little news coming from these beautiful far away Polynesian islands... such genuine, friendly, welcoming people...

:-(

A couple of Radio reports from Western Samoa and American Samoa. [link to www.radioaustralia.net.au] [link to www.radioaustralia.net.au]

Article with video

Apia slammed as cyclone hits Samoa

Two children are believed to be the first fatalities of a savage cyclone that has hit Samoa.

The small but powerful Cyclone Evan has battered the country, inflicting a severe ocean surge on the capital Apia. The city has been largely evacuated due to massive damage.

The Disaster Management Office (DMO) has not confirmed the deaths, but as is traditional in Samoa, families have posted announcement on state radio, advising of the family tragedy.

The children are believed to have drowned near Apia Park, a low lying area in the eastern side of the capital.

read more:
[link to www.stuff.co.nz]

:-(

Thank you for all your updates. i hope they don't suffer so much and that they can rebuild quickly. My heart goes out to the children.

why is this storm turning back?

Looks like Evan is beginning to form a very small eye as visible by the warming cloud tops at the center of his CDO. [link to www.ssd.noaa.gov]