Name: Tropical Storm in American Samoa, February 9, 2018
Start: 2018-02-09T04:00
End: 2018-02-09T14:00
Location: American Samoa

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50 million
Crop damage: $2.0 million
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.

Tropical Cyclone Gita combined with an active monsoon trough generated destructive winds and torrential rainfall between the hours of 4 AM to 2 PM. At the peak of the tropical storm before 8 AM, the Weather Service Office and most of American Samoa loss power. The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Office in Matatula recorded 64 kt gust 85 kt, and the radiosonde data reported 59 kt around 6 AM. Tropical Cyclone Gita caused widespread damages to homes, private and personal properties, government facilities, roads, electrical poles and wires, phone lines, and plantations across American Samoa. About 965 people including children evacuated to 12 shelters on the island of Tutuila. Numerous mudslides, flash flooding in small streams and low-lying areas were results of heavy rainfall. Heavy runoff swept debris and water into homes near valleys and small streams area. Several banyan trees and most breadfruit trees were uprooted.

A cargo shipping boat in Manu'a, Uila o le Sami, sank in Ta'u. Another similar incident occurred where an alia boat sank in Fagaitua bay but was later recovered by the owners on the following day. A storm surge up to 2 to 4 feet swept debris over the main road and beach area along the northwest through northeast shores of Tutuila, Aunuu and Manu'a. There we no fatalities reported.

Event by event

1 tropical storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Tropical Storm, Tutuila

When: February 9, 4:00 AM SST to 2:00 PM SST
Where: Tutuila forecast zone
Property damage: $50 million
Crop damage: $2.0 million
Reported by: Other Federal Agency

Tropical Cyclone Gita combined with an active monsoon trough generated destructive winds and torrential rainfall between the hours of 4 AM to 2 PM. At the peak of the tropical storm before 8 AM, the Weather Service Office and most of American Samoa lost power. The NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL) Office in Matatula recorded 64 kt gust 85 kt, and the radiosonde data reported 59 kt around 6 AM. Tropical Cyclone Gita caused widespread damages to homes, private and personal properties, government facilities, roads, electrical poles and wires, phone lines, and plantations across American Samoa. About 965 people including children evacuated to 12 shelters on the island of Tutuila. Numerous mudslides, flash flooding in small streams and low-lying areas were results of heavy rainfall. Heavy runoff swept debris and water into homes near valleys and small streams area. Several banyan trees and most breadfruit trees were uprooted.

A cargo shipping boat in Manu'a, Uila o le Sami, sank in Ta'u. Another similar incident occurred where an alia boat sank in Fagaitua bay but was later recovered by the owners on the following day. A storm surge up to 2 to 4 feet swept debris over the main road and beach area along the northwest through northeast shores of Tutuila, Aunuu and Manu'a. There we no fatalities reported.

What these are

Tropical Storm: A tropical cyclone with sustained winds of 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph).

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in American Samoa in 2018 Every state in 2018 This day in weather history Warnings in American Samoa, February 2018 The 2018 hurricane season

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: 743255.