Anniversary

Today, September 29th, marks the 7th anniversary of the 2009 tsunami that hit American Samoa. It was the result of extremely strong earthquake activity in the Pacific Ocean. There were actually three seperarate earthquakes within a couple of minutes along the Tongan Trench. Two were 8.0 and then the last was 8.2. The time between the earthquakes and the tsunami was a mere 12 minutes, so many islanders were caught off guard. This event caused significant loss of life and property damage in American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga. In American Samoa alone, there were 35 confirmed deaths along with more missing. Some beachside villages were virtually wiped out and others were left in shambles.

A friend of ours, Doug Berquist, who lives here in American Samoa shared this memory today: "September 29, 2009, a day I will always remember. I had just left town after dropping my son off at work in Fagotago. The roar of the earthquake and the shaking was beyond belief an 8.2, it sounded and felt like the island was going to split in two. As I hurried back to Leone to help at school and check on my wife I was driving along the coast line and watching the reef go completely dry. I was listening to the radio and the last thing I heard was the water was at the second story. Communications went down so I didn't know if my son was OK. The road was covered with slides and I was hoping I would make it before the tsunami hit. After getting home and several hours later i got in touch with my son. The devastation and loss of loss was horrific."

We first came to American Samoa in 2011, two years after that event. One morning as I was dropping Levi off at his school they asked me if I would stay a couple of hours to help judge the science fair projects that were set up in the fale. I, along with a couple of other WAY more qualified individuals, like actual scientists, walked around the fale inspecting each project. The students were allowed to tell us a little about their project and answer questions. I remember one of the projects was about the science of earthquakes and tsunamis. Taped all over the board were striking pictures of the devestation left from the 2009 tsunami in American Samoa. The student, a young lady probably in 5th grade, was telling us about why she chose that topic. I remember this vividly. She stopped mid sentence. She went silent for a minute, looked at our faces, and her eyes filled with tears. She ran from the fale and found a teacher nearby to hug. We looked at the project and saw that her village had been almost wiped out from that tsunami. She had lost her aunt and grandma. It was devestating. This brave young lady came back to us and we offered her hugs and condolances and she was able to tell us about her experience. It was such a powerful and personal reminder of the reality of natural disasters on a small island.

Since that event the government of American Samoa has set up warning systems. About once a month they are tested. So every once in awhile we will hear the speakers blarring a warning bell. There are also numerous tsunami warning signs posted all over the island. The signs tell you when you are entering and leaving a tsunami area. They also have signs to show routes off the main road that will lead to higher ground.

A couple of months ago, sometime in the summer, Levi and Finn and I were out on the beach having a picnic. We had only been here a month or two at that point and I hadn't heard the warning system and really hadn't given it any thought. The tide just happened to be super low at that time of day. Like eerily low. I remember driving up to the beach thinking about earthquakes and tsunamis because I know that the tide goes way out before a tsunami hits. But I hadn't felt or heard of any earthquakes that morning so we went ahead and set up our picnic. All of a sudden in the middle of eating we heard the loud, low, warning bell tones. Levi had finished eating and was way out investigating the coral since so much of it was exposed. It just gave me such an errie feeling to hear those warning bells and see him way out in the ocean. The warning bell was followed by instruction in Samoan. Of course, since we don't speak Samoan, I had no idea if it was a test or a real threat. So we packed up as fast as we could and rushed to the car just to be safe. As I was starting the car I heard the follow up instructions in English. Yep, just a test. Better safe than sorry!


There is a beautiful memorial set up on the island in remberance of those lost September 29th 2009. It is facing the breathtaking Pacific. The same ocean that took those lives, also gives life and beauty everyday. This also just happens to be the 10th anniversary of my mom's passing. She passed away Septemer 29th, 2006 after a battle with cancer. Ten year ago I held her hand and sat by her bed in her room and along with my sisters we watched her take her last breath. She said she had to go and she would be having margaritas by the sea and that some day we would be reunited and maybe we can sit together on the beach. Well, tonight, I'm not having a margarita, but a glass of Chardonny (which I'm 100% certain she would approve of). I'm raising my glass tonight for all those lost here in beautiful American Samoa on this day 7 years ago and my momma back home. I have a feeling she would like this view.