Samoa avoids direct hit from Cyclone Amos

Significant flooding from nearby tropical storm causes structural damage on Polynesian islands.

Track and forecast for TC Amos [Joint Typhoon Warning Centre]
Track and forecast for Cyclone Amos [Joint Typhoon Warning Centre]

Tropical Cyclone Amos kept its eye on the ocean as it passed by Samoa. The islands bore the brunt of the southern half of the storm, enduring winds from the northeast and bands of torrential rain.

No deaths have been reported, but Amos left destruction in its wake. Samoa’s Disaster Management Office said there had been significant damage to coastal roads, particularly on the northern island Savai’i.

Apia, the capital on the northern shore of the island of Upolu, collected 218mm from the cyclone. That is just over the average rainfall for April, falling in 30 hours.

The cyclone is still feeding off the very warm ocean waters north of Samoa, which remain a degree and a half or even two degrees warmer than usual at the moment.

Cyclone Amos comes about two months after Category 5 Cyclone Winston – measured on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale – devastated parts of neighbouring Fiji.

Amos next headed for American Samoa, but authorities there cancelled a hurricane warning as wind speeds diminished. A flash flood warning has been kept in place.

Pago Pago, on American Samoa’s main island, Tutuila, recorded 77mm of rain from Amos. The smaller islands of American Samoa, further east, are directly in the path of cyclone for Monday.

Source: Al Jazeera