American Samoa, 2022

Flash Flood and Heavy Rain in American Samoa, January 21, 2022

January 21, 2022 · NWS ASO · 3 events in 1 county or zone

The SPCZ produced heavy rainfall across the territory, mainly in central and western villages on Tutuila.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$140,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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.

The SPCZ produced heavy rainfall across the territory, mainly in central and western villages on Tutuila.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 heavy rain, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Tutuila

When
January 21, 12:50 AM SST to 1:50 AM SST
Where
Tutuila County, 5.14 mi NW of Vaitogi to 4.21 mi NNW of Vaitogi
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$100,000
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
-14.344, -170.751

WSO Pago Pago recorded 2.58 inches between 12:50 AM and 1:50 AM, while at the same time several reports were received of flooding in low-lying areas. Also a power outage in Fagaitua was also reported during the time of this flash flooding event.

Heavy Rain, Tutuila

When
January 21, 1:00 AM SST to 2:00 AM SST
Where
Tutuila County, 6.06 mi NNW of Vaitogi to 6.1 mi NNW of Vaitogi
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
-14.322, -170.742

ASCC (tipping bucket by Davis Instruments): 2.49 inches between 1 AM and 2 AM.

Heavy Rain, Tutuila

When
January 21, 1:01 AM SST to 2:00 AM SST
Where
Tutuila County, 5.58 mi N of Vaitogi to 5.88 mi N of Vaitogi
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
-14.319, -170.702

Rain observations by Meteorologist Joe Laplante at Coconut Point recorded (tipping bucket by Davis Instruments): 4.27 inches between 1 AM and 2 AM.

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.
Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in American Samoa in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in American Samoa, January 2022

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: 1001521, 1001523, 1001522.