Tsunami Story: Nyrese

Nyrese: Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade, Village of Fagatogo

It was Tuesday, September 29th, 2009. I was at home getting ready for school. My little brother (1 almost 2) was crying, he wanted to leave. I grabbed his hand and started walking outside (down, because we live on the mountain in Fagatogo) along with my father. All of a sudden, I saw the plants shaking, as if something were to explode! My older sister started yelling from inside, “Earthquake! Earthquake!” I yelled out to my dad and told him to stop, he ran back up and grabbed my little brother. The three of us ran back to my house and stood under our doorway along with my two sisters and mother, until the earthquake had stopped. It was the first earthquake I felt. For the 15 years I’ve lived, I had never felt an earthquake. It as also the strongest and longest earthquake. After the earthquake, my family and I walked down to our car. My dad dropped me and my sister off here at school, and left to take my mom. I was so scared! I went and sat in my usual spot and waited for everyone to come to school. Five minutes after, the second earthquake hit, (but it wasn’t as strong or long) and I began to panic again. Next thing I know, the police van turns into the school and speeds towards the school office, a policeman comes out with that speaker thingy, (hooked on the car) and yells - “Evacuate and get to higher grounds!” I ran towards the library to get my sister and her friends, and we ran up the tramway. I saw so many kids running up to the tramway, buses, cars trying to drive u! Kids were crying trying to get a hold of their parents, to see if they were okay! I started to tear a little after seeing the waves recede and come forward. It was sad! I was stuck up in the tramway ‘til 12:00pm. My parents finally got a hold of us, and we were fine! The police finally unblocked the roads and my parents came back to town to pick me and my sister up. It was so sad to see the little kids going home to nothing -- no parents or houses -- absolutely nothing. I just cried watching those little kids just staring and not understanding. I was so sad to hear stories about kids stealing, and not even thinking about others. There was this one article that a “palagi” guy had written. He said that throughout all these years he and his family had been here, he’s never seen stuff like this. There was a deceased lady in a store with here purse and jewelry, kids were just picking stuff off of her and taking things out of her purse! It is just so heartbreaking and sad! My heart goes out to all those with great losses! They are in my prayers. This is the lowest I’ve seen Samoan people, and very devastating.