Samoan coastal areas under threat as powerful cyclone nears

APIA (AFP) Jan 04, 2004
Coastal villagers in Samoa were warned Saturday to be prepared for gale force winds and storm surges as powerful cyclone Heta neared.

The Samoa Meteorology Division issued a special weather bulletin advising the public to take necessary safety precautions.

Heta, the first tropical cyclone of the 2003-04, season was 176 miles northwest of Savai'i, Samoa's largest island, at 1:00pm SaturdaySunday).

If Heta continues on its expected track and rate of development, "damaging gale force winds ... with gusts up to 70 miles per hour (113kmh) will develop in the next 12 to 24 hours affecting most of Savai'i", the weather bulletin said.

Seas will be "high to very high with damaging storm surges which will affect some of the northern low-lying coastal areas".

Heta is the first cyclone to threaten Samoa in nearly a decade.

Cyclones Ofa in 1990 and Val in 1991 were the last major storms to hit the country and nearly bankrupted its economy, causing hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage.

Savai'i was badly hit by both cyclones.

TERRA.WIRE