Coastal Flood, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 12:00 AM SST to 3:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
Near 50 people in Onenoa were housed in an emergency shelter, result of homes being washed over by waves.
Coastal Flood and High Wind in American Samoa, February 20, 2020
Tropical Depression 09F originally formed northwest of Savaii in an expansive area of deep convection and tropical instability, which was reflected well in the rapidly cooling cloud top temperatures noted on IR satellite. TD 09F moved through American Samoa’s area of responsibility (AOR) Thursday morning (Feb 20th) before Fiji Met Services named the system Tropical Storm Vicky (1205pm Thurs…
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Events
- 6
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 Depression 09F originally formed northwest of Savaii in an expansive area of deep convection and tropical instability, which was reflected well in the rapidly cooling cloud top temperatures noted on IR satellite. TD 09F moved through American Samoa’s area of responsibility (AOR) Thursday morning (Feb 20th) before Fiji Met Services named the system Tropical Storm Vicky (1205pm Thurs afternoon). A Tropical Storm Watch issued Thursday, was for another developing tropical system northwest of Savaii, 98P, which eventually became known as Tropical Storm Wasi.
The system generated a period of strong winds across American Samoa Thursday morning, between 30 to 50 mph with gusts in the 60s. At NWS Pago Pago, highest wind observations Thursday morning (around 8am and 9am) were sustained at 46 mph with gusts to 75 mph.
American Samoa Power Authority (ASPA) reported .25 customers sustained damage to their house and meters, Power outages reported in villages Tutuila, Manua and Aunuu. Over 300 people were in emergency shelters. 50 people from Onenoa were housed in an emergency shelter, result of their home being washed over by waves. Hawaiian Air announced that they would not operate additional flights through the weekend. Samoa Airways and Talofa Air both suspended flights to American Samoa in the wake of Tropical Storm Vicky and in advance of Tropical Storm Wasi. Pago Pago International Airport extended its closure.
The extensive amounts of damage experienced on American Samoa’s Islands the weekend prior, by the strong winds Saturday night (Feb 15) through Monday (Feb 17), is what likely lessened storm damage experienced with Tropical Storm Vicky Thursday (Feb 20), and eventually during the weekend with Tropical Storm Wasi.
Event by event
4 strong wind, 1 coastal flood, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong Wind, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM SST to 8:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Measured
- 33 kt (38 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
U.S. National Park Service wind data.
Strong Wind, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 7:00 AM SST to 8:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Measured
- 41 kt (47 mph) estimated sustained
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
NOAA Observatory Tula wind observation.
Strong Wind, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 8:00 AM SST to 9:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Measured
- 40 kt (46 mph) measured sustained
- Crop damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
NWS Pago Pago official surface observation.
High Wind, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 8:00 AM SST to 9:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Measured
- 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
ASPA reported 25 customers with damages to their house and meters. Power outages scattered across the territory. Flights to American Samoa from Hawaii and Apia suspended.
Strong Wind, Tutuila
- When
- February 20, 10:00 AM SST
- Where
- Tutuila forecast zone
- Measured
- 45 kt (52 mph) measured sustained
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Park/Forest Service
U.S. National Park Service wind data.
What these are
- Coastal Flood
- Flooding of coastal land by the sea, from storm surge, onshore wind or high tides.
- Strong Wind
- Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flood in Georgia, February 20 to 29, 2020
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Strong Wind in Hawaii, February 20, 2020
- Winter Weather in Tennessee, February 20, 2020
- Winter Storm in Virginia, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Winter Weather in Arkansas, February 20, 2020
- Winter Weather in Virginia, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, February 20 to 21, 2020
- Winter Weather in North Carolina, February 20 to 21, 2020
- High Wind in Texas, February 20, 2020
More
Every storm in American Samoa in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in American Samoa, February 2020
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 897843, 870959, 870961, 870954, 870956, 870958.