A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck the Samoan Islands Tuesday at 6:48 a.m. (1:28 p.m. ET) according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting warnings for islands around the epicenter. Water flowed inland about 100 yards before receding, leaving cars stuck in the mud.
Reports indicate that at least 111 people are dead and 15,000 people continue to be affected by the aftermath of the tsunami. The Samoa Red Cross has opened five temporary shelters.
Meteorologist Mase Akapo said the deaths occurred in four different villages on the island of Tutuila and in neighboring Samoa. The streets and fields were filled with ocean debris, mud, overturned cars and several boats as a massive cleanup effort continued into the night. Several areas were expected to be without electricity for up to a month.
Tsunami waves swept into Pago Pago, generating warnings for American Samoa, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga and Fiji. The airports in American Samoa and Samoa were closed in anticipation of a tsunami but according to Samoa airport employee Alefosao Mapulino, “we haven’t seen any big waves at the moment.”
A separate tsunami watch was issued for Hawaii and Papua New Guinea and later canceled. Officials initially believed that a decreased wave could reach Hawaii at 1:18 p.m. (7:18 p.m. ET). The quake, which reached a depth of 20 miles, is not expected to generate a tsunami that would reach the west coast of the U.S. or Canada.
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