The Tropical Cyclone (TC) season officially started on November 1 and lasts until April 30.
The National Weather Service is predicting 0 to 2 tropical cyclones within 300 nautical miles from Tutuila this season.
Typically, American Samoa encounters 1 to 2 TCs in an average year.
Meteorologist-in-Charge at the National Weather Service in Tafuna, Elinor Lutu-McMoore, explains the outlook.
Play Audio
The National Weather Service advises that a single tropical cyclone can devastate an entire community—even without a direct hit. Life-threatening weather and treacherous seas pose risks far beyond the storm’s center. TCs deliver a triple threat of hazards for the territory:
- Destructive winds, including powerful gusts, can damage homes, topple power lines, and uproot trees.
- Heavy, continuous rain triggers flash floods, overflows streams, and floods low-lying areas —while also heightening the risk of landslides.
- Dangerous seas endanger vessels (such as alia fishing boats), generate deadly rip currents, and drive storm-surge inundation that can flood coastal roads and homes.
On Wednesday, November 5, the National Weather Service will hold the Annual Tropical Cyclone workshop at the Pago Pago International Airport Conference Room from 8 a.m. to noon.
The workshop is open to the public and will provide information on hurricane systems, threats and impacts, hurricane forecasts and alerts, and best practices for disaster supply, kits and emergency plans.
The public is encouraged to attend.
