Tsunami

On 29th September an earthquake near Samoa sent out shock waves which led to a Tsunami. Sadly Samoa and Niuatoputapu, our last two ports of call, were badly hit. There were many lives lost, particularly in Samoa, and incredible damage to property. Many of the buildings we saw on the south coast of Western Samoa and in Niuatoputapu are now gone.

Most of the village homes in Niuatoputapu, including Se’a’s, were washed away as was the medical center. In the main town, the sturdier, block built government buildings are also gone. 9 people from one family were killed as the van in which they were traveling was washed out to sea. Many animals were also washed away. It is a miracle that there wasn’t more loss of life, we understand that many people had moved to high ground before the wave came.

Our friends were just leaving the harbour when the Tsunami struck; they took photos which show the huge wave, about 20 feet high, engulfing the forest at the eastern end of the island. A subsequent shot shows the same spot minutes later with only a few straggly trees remaining.

Some cruisers remained to help the salvage operation. Within a few days cruisers in Vava’u had rallied round and collected food and clothing which was sent by plane to Niuatoputapu and further supplies, including petrol, were taken up by boat. Locals were not allowed to help unload the plane as it arrived on a Sunday! Media attention was focused on Samoa, which is easier to access, and it took a while longer for outside help, in the form of the Red Cross, to arrive in Niuatoputapu. Reports from those arriving from Niuatoputapu since the disaster say that after the initial shock the people have started to rebuild their lives, and homes, and are showing remarkable resilience.

We were just leaving an anchorage in Vava’u when the tsunami hit, about 20 minutes after it hit Niuatoputapu. We were in the process of lifting the anchor and I was on the wheel and happened to be watching the depth sounder. We were in 14 meters of water one second and the next in 9 meters! We thought it odd and when we looked up saw that the reef on the shoreline was exposed. There was much shouting as all the boats anchored close in were trying to get out quickly; they were pulled violently back and forth in the huge surge. No one was seriously damaged although a couple had to drop their anchor chain to get out quickly.

Our thoughts are with those who suffered in this disaster.