American Samoa, 2008

Flash Flood in American Samoa, December 8, 2008

December 8, 2008 · NWS ASO · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An active trough of low pressure developed northeast of the islands on the 3rd of Dec 2008 meandered over the islands for six days. Radiosonde data depicted an absolute unstable atmosphere for the islands during the period.

Where it happened

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  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ASO wrote it up.

An active trough of low pressure developed northeast of the islands on the 3rd of Dec 2008 meandered over the islands for six days. Radiosonde data depicted an absolute unstable atmosphere for the islands during the period. Satellite images had shown substantial vertical development and numerous lows within the trough. The Pago Pago National Weather Service Office recorded 13.55 inches of rainfall total for this period. Furthermore, the Pago Pago NWS had issued small stream advisories for the islands during the period and a flash flood warning on the last day of the episode. The Department of Public Safety and the Department of the Public Works both reported roads inundated by the overflow of streams and major works due to drainage problems. No other major damages were reported.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Tutuila

When
December 8, 3:30 AM SST to 1:00 PM SST
Where
Tutuila County, 10.4 mi WNW of Vaitogi to 4.09 mi E of Pago Pago
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
-14.332, -170.839

With a well saturated ground for the islands from the previous days, a slow moving trough poured 3.59 inches of rain over the islands on the 8th of December. The flash flood warning was issued by the Pago Pago NWS for ten hours. The flash flood from the slow moving trough over the islands produced heavy runoffs of streams and inundated low lying of the islands. The Department of the Public Works reported major drainage problems and roads reconstructions. The Department of Public Safety reported overflow of streams on roads and inundation of low lying areas during this short period of time. No other damages were reported.

What these are

Flash Flood
Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in American Samoa in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in American Samoa, December 2008

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 148606.