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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33075304/ns/world_news-asiapacific/?GT1=43001
Tsunami reportedly hits capital after temblor centered southwest of islands
WASHINGTON - A tsunami warning was issued for New Zealand and other small Pacific islands after a major 7.9 magnitude quake struck in the ocean off American Samoa, U.S. government agencies said on Tuesday.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, a branch of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, issued the warning after the quake hit about 120 miles southwest of the remote Pacific island of American Samoa. It struck at a depth of 20.5 miles.

A tsunami watch was in effect for Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and other small Pacific islands.

The agency noted that its warning did not mean a tsunami had necessarily been generated by the quake. The warning was issued because a quake of this magnitude had the power to generate a destructive tsunami, it said.

In 2004, a quake in the Indian Ocean generated a powerful tsunami that killed tens of thousands people in Asia.

The representative from American Samoa to the U.S. Congress, Eni Faleomavaega, told NBC News that quake hit between the North Marianas Islands and American Samoa, creating 10 to 15- foot waves in populated low-lying areas like Pago Pago Bay.

"Cars were seen floating," the congressman said of Pago Pago Bay.

He said there will likely need to be mass evacuations of low-lying areas and there will be requests for assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

He didn't have any reports on numbers of deaths at this time.

The U.S. State Department also said there was no word of American casualties or evacuees.

Geez, that's a big quake.

Not as horrific as that one in China last year, but pretty bad nonetheless. Hope the tsunami either doesn't develop or is at least relatively small.

A tsunami was generated, but it was small.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/09/29/samoa.earthquake/index.html

The temblor generated a nearly 10-foot (3-meter) tsunami -- measured from crest to trough -- according to preliminary data, said Chip McCreery, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.

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It may not be done yet.

Samoa is also not the only place at risk.

Isn't that part of the pacific ring of fire?

I hope for the best for them.

-Adam

WE HAVE TO GO BACK, KATE

Dave said:

A tsunami was generated, but it was small.

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Try telling that to the people who lived in the village that was flattened.

There's currently a tsunami advisory for the West Coast, which is not the same as a warning, basically just not a good day to surf unless you want to make it to Australia.

ZenMonkey said:

There's currently a tsunami advisory for the West Coast, which is not the same as a warning, basically just not a good day to surf unless you want to make it to Australia.

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Pure comedy gold. -

ZenMonkey;265310][quote=Dave said:

A tsunami was generated, but it was small.

Click to expand...

Try telling that to the people who lived in the village that was flattened.

There's currently a tsunami advisory for the West Coast, which is not the same as a warning, basically just not a good day to surf unless you want to make it to Australia.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I didn't see that until I got up this morning in the paper. MUCH different than what was initially being said yesterday. Damn these things are rough.

10 feet may not be too big, but it would sure fuck up where I live.

Registered Location
Latitude: 28° 4' 39" N (deg min sec), 28.0775° (decimal), 2804.65N (LORAN)
Longitude: 80° 33' 56" W (deg min sec), -80.5655° (decimal), 08033.93W (LORAN)
Elevation: 2 meters (6 feet) -- validated against 3 meters (8 feet) from NED Contiguous U. S. 1/3E arc second elevation data
Location: Melbourne Beach, FL US

Sometimes, it doesn't *take* that much.
That's why so many guys get lucky.