Cyclone Evan Update: Cyclone EVAN now being called the worst storm to ever hit Fiji

For all you storm watchers

[link to www.prh.noaa.gov]

Check out the low pressure area SE of Evan if its strong enough it could start the Fujiami effect and the two could start rotating around a center point. I hope so, as that would bring Evan to the North of us. The two lows are close but the SE one is just forming now.

Here on island as well (Am Sam). Still pretty calm here, but we're boarding up the windows too. Latest NOAA post has 75-85mph wind tomorrow evening. Stay safe.

I have the green house ready, Tomato plants and some peppers are in. I still need to get the plywood over the windows. Helped ASPA find tuna netting this morning for all those piles of recycled materials in Tafuna. I hope they get it secure otherwise that side of the island will be one big mess!

Stay safe too

It's good to know I'm not the only GLPer on the rock!!

Mike (that "Coral guy")

Bye bye, Tutuila!

Heeeyyy!!

You guys in American Samoa didn't experience 12:12 of 12-12-12 yet!!!

You will experience that in about 15 minutes!

Good luck!

Thought we were prepared, but it turns out the masonite we've stored in our garage has become too crumbly to use. Glad it's not me heading to the Ace right now, I'll bet it is a zoo!

If ASPA doesn't secure all of the plastic bottles and cans, I guess everyone can just pick them up and redeem them again :)

Casey

Now the entire world entered the "new era" already!

Cyclone Evan is gaining strength,
FORECASTS:

12 HRS, VALID AT:
131200Z --- 14.1S 170.7W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 100 KT, GUSTS 125 KT

24 HRS, VALID AT:
140000Z --- 14.3S 170.9W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 110 KT, GUSTS 135 KT

Looks like it will be a direct hit.

Cyclone ha done a 180 degree turn and seems to be heading away from American Samoa.

Samoa was hit hard and is still being wacked.

From the Samoa News.

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.

for more on the storm and Samoa


[link to www.stuff.co.nz]

Mike

Looks like Evan (Now a Catagory 3 Cyclone) is stalling out just north of Samoa again.

From Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

Current location:

131800Z --- NEAR 13.4S 171.7W
MOVEMENT PAST SIX HOURS - 340 DEGREES AT 03 FORECASTS:

Forcast:

12 HRS, VALID AT:
140600Z --- 13.2S 172.4W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 105 KT, GUSTS 130 KT

(121mph with gust to 150mph)

24 HRS, VALID AT:
141800Z --- 13.2S 173.4W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 110 KT, GUSTS 135 KT

(126mph gust to 155mph)

Current IR Satellite image at:

[link to www.prh.noaa.gov]

The most current Satellite image shows the eye of Cyclone Evan is just offshore (1-3 miles) off the North Eastern side of Savaii. The eye should be over Savaii in less than a hour.

Winds near the eye at sea level could reach 125mph with higher winds in the mountains of Savaii.

Crazy day here in American Samoa as its totally beautiful, if I didn’t know otherwise I’d never even think that a Category 3 cyclone was just 80-120 miles away.

Evan skirted the NE coast of Savaii and it now looks like Evan is about to take a North-east direction turn and could possibly loop back yet again. This happens quite often where we are located (12-14 degrees S of equator). We are not out of the harms way yet. Samoa may be hit yet again. I think the low that is E-SE of us may be effecting its path more than expected if so it will tend to pull Evan to the north east then the northern system will push it back down causing the loop to occur.

Heavy rain band is forming to the North of us and should hit here in a few hours I'm on a Dongle internet hook up and when it starts raining hard I'll be knocked off line again.

Cyclone Evan did do a small loop, and is again heading South. The Cyclone’s eye is currently off the Northern coast of Samoa's Island of Savaii. This will be Samoa’s third hit by Evan and 3rd day of cyclone weather. The Storm has intensified and winds are now 100+ knots 115 + mph actual winds might be higher as the eye comes ashore on the islands NW coast in less than an hour.

From American Samoa history book Cyclone Val back in December 1991 stalled over American Samoa for 5 days with winds over 150mph and waves of 50 feet in height.
Over 65% of all homes in American Samoa were destroyed by Val many more were destroyed in Samoa.

Homes in Samoa are not constructed as well as here.

I currently live in one of the FEMA homes constructed after Val in 1991 so far it has done very well.

Keep safe mate



[link to www.wunderground.com]

Cyclone Evan is finally moving away from the Samoa Islands.

American Samoa was very Lucky to excape the storm, I think there was a bit more than luck involved myself, as we had a very nice day yesterday when it was storming hard all around our little island.

From This Mornings Samoa News:

Evan called “Wolf who came when no one was ready”

Describing Tropical Cyclone Evan as a “wolf who came when no one was ready,” residents of Samoa are reaching out to the world through Facebook and blogs to recount the toll the storm has taken on them and their country.

Reports from the Associated Press, Facebook and blogs are the only sources of information about the effects of Tropical Cyclone Evan on Samoa, as landlines are down and power out, and Samoa News has been unable to get an official assessment of the damage through Samoa government authorities.

In the AP story, out of Sydney, Australia, its reported that New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said on Friday (our Thursday) that there were reports three people had been killed by Cyclone Evan, but police in Samoa have not confirmed that yet.

“The storm lashed Samoa with winds of up to 165 kilometers (100 miles) per hour. Samoa Observer editor Keni Lesa says the cyclone caused serious damage in the capital Apia, flinging cars into trees and causing flash floods. Phone lines, Internet service and electricity were down across the country, and the airport was closed,” according to the AP. “Lesa says the village of Lelata just outside Apia looks ‘like a tsunami has struck’ it.”

For more of this story visit

[link to www.samoanews.com]

Tropical cyclone Evan upgraded to a category four system
Fri, 12/14/2012 - 7:38am

By Radio New Zealand

The weather service in Samoa says tropical Evan has moved away from the capital, Apia. It says the rain has eased and damage assessment teams should be able to begin work today.
The police in Samoa say two people have been killed.
Two children are missing presumed drowned, and at least five other people are also missing.
The assistant chief executive of the Meteorological Division Mulipola Ausetalia Titimaea reported late yesterday afternoon the cyclone was about 100 kilometres away from Apia.
“The current position is north-north west of Apia, it’s must closer to Savaii at this time. The tropical cyclone is moving west north west at a speed of 6 miles per hour at this time we are still monitoring the situation but there is very little chance of looping back to the islands.”
Samoa’s Disaster Management Office says about two thousand people evacuated from flooding have sought refuge in emergency shelters around Apia.
A spokesperson, Filomena Nelson, says more than ten emergency shelters have been established.

The Fiji metservice says tropical cyclone Evan is intensifying as it moves towards Fiji.
It says the cyclone has now been upgraded to a category four system with winds close to the centre of up to 165 kilometres an hour with momentary gusts of 230 kilometres an hour.

[link to www.samoanews.com]

Cyclone Evan is growing into a super storm and will be coming close to, or hitting Fiji, several small islands are currently being hit hard.

For current Satellite images
[link to www.prh.noaa.gov]

Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)

[link to www.usno.navy.mil]

PRESENT WIND DISTRIBUTION:
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 090 KT, GUSTS 110 KT

FORECASTS:
12 HRS, VALID AT:
151800Z --- 13.6S 177.6W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 100 KT, GUSTS 125 KT
115 mph 143 mph

24 HRS, VALID AT:
160600Z --- 14.5S 179.7W
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 110 KT, GUSTS 135 KT
126 mph 156 mph


36 HRS, VALID AT:
161800Z --- 15.4S 178.3E
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS - 110 KT, GUSTS 135 KT

Satellite image from 8:52 am American Samoa local time this morning, Evan has grown at least 300% overnight and is located right over some very warm water. I think we will see a well formed eye by mid day and Evan could become a Catagory 5 Cyclone by tonight.

Anyone in Fiji get ready this is becoming a major storm.



Last Edited by Michael. on 12/15/2012 04:48 PM

Bump for those in the path of Evan.

Death toll rises in Samoa, over 3,000 homeless
Sat, 12/15/2012 - 10:35am | Category:
Samoa News staff
[email protected]


APIA -- The death toll in Samoa following tropical cyclone Evan has risen to four as recovery efforts begin in the Independent State, while regional support has started pouring into the country of more than 100,000 people.

Initial reports as Evan moved away from Samoa islands stated that two were confirmed dead while others were unaccounted for. However, in a statement released by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s Office, the death toll has risen.

This latest information was revealed at a meeting of the National Disaster Council on Saturday morning in Samoa where they head initial reports from various government and non-government agencies on the extent of destruction caused by the cyclone.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, who was in New Zealand for meetings when the cyclone hit Samoa this week, chaired 
the meeting.

Samoa Police Commissioner Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo reported that four people are confirmed dead with eight people missing – including five fishermen reportedly missing at sea. One fisherman, cast adrift, managed to swim to the coast at Salelologa and was saved, according to the Prime Minister’s Office’s news release based on information from the meeting.
For more of the story
[link to www.samoanews.com]

Flood-prone towns in Fiji brace for worst


Sat, 12/15/2012 -
By Repeka Nasiko, Fiji Times


Authorities in Nadi, Ba and Rakiraki are on standby as they prepare for the worst when Tropical Cyclone Evan is expected to hit Fiji later this afternoon.
Susceptible to constant flooding, authorities at the three main towns were not leaving any stones unturned as they prepared for the impending disaster.
Nadi district officer Peni Koro said schools operating as evacuation centres had all been activated.
"I just got confirmation around midday today (yesterday) from all Nadi school headteachers and principals that they have been instructed by the Ministry of Education to have the schools open and on standby," said Mr Koro.
"In total there's about 80 evacuation centres in Nadi and that includes community halls, churches and schools."

full story at:

[link to www.fijitimes.com]

Looks like Evan's eye may pass just West of Fiji's Northern Island Currently about 100 miles N-NE of that island.

IR Image 522UTC (about 4:30pm local)

The latest Satellite Images show that Evan is currently near the Southern large island of Fiji. The storm now has a well developed eye which will pass very close to or possibly over the city of Nadi Fiji.

[link to www.prh.noaa.gov]

The storm could be a category 5 now.

Nothing had been heard from Wallis and Futuna since last night. Two small Islands between Samoa and Fiji.

Last Edited by Michael. on 12/16/2012 06:49 PM