By Tina Mata’afa Tufele Elise
The pull of the super full moon and varying tides combined with strong winds have generated waves that are inundating coastal villages across the Samoan islands and other parts of the Pacific.
Local weather experts say conditions will persist throughout the weekend across Samoa.
Fuimaono Lameko Talia, the Acting A.C.E.O. for the Samoa Meteorological Service warns residents to steer clear of the beaches and coastal areas this weekend.
“This will persist Saturday and through Sunday so keep an eye out on coastal activities and try to stay away from the coastal areas until the warning is canceled,” Fuimaono told Newsline Samoa.
“Also stay tuned to the television and to the media who are putting out stories about the weather throughout the weekend.”
A marine warning remains in effect for Samoa, according to a severe weather bulletin issued at 5 p.m. on Friday by the Met Service. Wind, high surf and coastal flood advisories are also in effect.
“Observations of high-surf and coastal inundation impacts were reported in the morning from exposed locations of the islands. The high waves from the intense high-pressure system Southeast of Samoa combined with spring tides were responsible for the abovementioned severe weather conditions,” the bulletin reads.
“The aforementioned high-pressure system will continue to induce high swells and gusty Easterlies for land areas and marine waters for tonight into tomorrow. Therefore, the above-listed warning and advisories remain in force for all land and marine waters.”
Reports about waves inundating the coast were received from “some of the back villages” on Friday Fuimaono said, like Manono Uta, Lauli’i and Luatuanu’u.
“Some of the back villages like Manono Uta have been affected by the ocean swells. Manono Uta is one of the places where I received a call in the morning. The swells went up about one and a half to two metres high,” said Fuimaono.
“I received a call from my friend in Manono Uta who said the waves reached his home. There were no damages but the waves did reach his home which is about 1 and half to two metres above the beach level…the waves reached in front of his home.”
In Lauli’i and Luatuanu’u ocean swells washed sand, debris and small stones inland and onto the roadways.
“The debris is probably already cleared by now,” said Fuimaono.
He explained that the tides caused by the pull of the moon, combined with the winds and rough waters are generating the ocean swells.
“What has happened is that the high tide combines with the rough seas. For example, when conditions are normal and there is no full moon, the waves predicted were two to three metres high. But then we had the full moon and then the king tides, now we are looking at about four metres above sea level. These waves occur especially when it’s high tide…at around 5 or 6 in the evening is when the tide is high,” Fuimaono said.
“The advisory has been on for about a week and a half now. There is a ridge of high pressure to the south of us, around the Cook Islands area. It is from there where the strong winds are being generated, the winds that we call “tuaoloa.” Those strong winds push the water toward us and generate those waves that are inundating us. The spring tide is because of the phases of the moon not because of the wind. So they are coming at us at once – the strong winds, the spring tide and those add up to the waves and the rough seas that we are facing right now.”
The king tide is the highest predicted high tide of the year at a coastal location. It is above the highest water level reached at high tide on an average day. A spring tide occurs when there is a new or full moon.
The islands of American Samoa are facing the same severe weather but in the Cooks Islands the weather is much worse, said Salesa Nihmei, Meteorology and Climate Advisor for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.) based in Vailima.
“This is what is occurring in American Samoa, and Samoa but it’s quite bad in the Cook Islands. Basically, what is happening is there is a high pressure system south of Cook Islands and this high pressure system is creating strong pressure, strong winds. The strong winds have been persistent since Tuesday and they are still continuing and they will probably last over the weekend,” Mr. Nihmei told Newsline Samoa.
“The strong winds create ocean swells that are able to travel across long distances from where they are generated. Combining with the spring tide it creates those impacts we see in the videos from American Samoa. The spring tides and high winds and sea swells create those kinds of conditions where we see waves almost like a tsunami.”
Videos from American Samoa show waves crashing ashore on the islands of Ofu, Manu’a, on Aunuu and on Tutuila. There are major damages to homes on Aunuu and Tutuila.
This is not the first time these waves have occurred but it is the first time Mr. Nimhei has witnessed these conditions in Samoa.
He has lived in Samoa for 10 years.
The owner of a beach fale resort has reported damages to some beach fales on the southern coast of Upolu, Mr. Nimhei said.
“I was planning on going to the beach tomorrow but the owner of the beach resort called me this morning and told me not to go because the swells have damaged some of the beach fales on the southern coast,” he said.
The Fiji Meteorological Service began issuing weather advisories for the Cook Islands and Niue since Tuesday, he said. Fiji provides weather services for Cook Islands and Niue.
“The Fiji Met Office issued warnings since Tuesday that they will be experiencing inundations since Tuesday and they will keep those in place until the weekend,” said Mr Nimhei.
The weather conditions in the Cook Islands “have caused a lot of damages,” he added.
“A lot of tourists are affected at the bungalows on the beaches. It’s a lot worse in Cook Islands and French Polynesia,” Mr Nimhei said.
S.P.R.E.P. stands ready to offer American Samoa help if a request is made, he said.
American Samoa has declared a State of Emergency due to damages caused by the waves, according to a statement from the Office of the Governor of American Samoa.
All government operations have been closed and the main airport in Tafuna has been shut down. The Hawaiian Airlines flight scheduled for Thursday, 14 July has been cancelled and the territory’s Emergency Operations Center has been activated.
“Due to severe weather conditions resulting in damages to roads, infrastructure, property and coastal villages, I have declared that American Samoa is in a State of Emergency. All government offices will be closed and normal activities will be suspended starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, 2022,” says the statement signed by Governor Lemanu Mauga.
“The Pago Pago International Airport will remain closed due to damage from heavy waves to the runway. The Hawaiian Airlines flight scheduled for July 14, 2022, has also been cancelled and will resume as soon as the runway can reopen safely.”
The governor asks residents of American Samoa to remain vigilant and to keep their families safe.
Inquiries sent to the U.S. National Weather Service in Pago Pago, American Samoa did not receive a reply.
In a Thursday statement, the Pago Pago weather service said “coastal flooding was reported along east, south, and west facing shores.”
“Although king tides ended yesterday around 1 p.m., large southerly swells continues to impact our shores. Expect seas to gradually subside by Friday, though advisory thresholds will remain through the new week,” it said.