At around 2:30 a.m., the National Weather Service canceled the tsunami advisory triggered by a 8.7 magnitude earthquake in Russia yesterday.
The advisory, issued around 3 p.m. yesterday, made for a sleepless night for many. Watch Commander at the Central Police Station in Fagatogo, Captain Sonny White, said this morning that waves washed on to the road in Fagasa, Aua, Pago Pago, and Fagatogo. Several villages on the eastern end of the island also reported wave inundation, however, the waves did not flood any buildings. When police arrived at some of these villages, village pulenuu had rung bells and families had already evacuated to higher elevation.
They did so after seeing the sea recede and reef exposure—common signs of a potential tsunami.
The National Weather Service reported that the strongest wave hit the island around 11 p.m. but there was a series of fluctuations—as recorded by the tide gauge in the harbor.
This also occurred while it was high tide. There have been no reports of injuries or damages, and people generally stayed off the road and heeded advice to stay clear of the sea.
Photo: Behind Fagatogo Square
