Tsunami Story: Nate

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

What happened was all of the people in Samoa heard the earthquake shaking and they even saw the ocean going down in the surface so when the quake stopped shaking the wave came in our village and suddenly it went to Pago Pago and the people in the store buying food didn't see was coming and it came with no nose, it just came and too a lot of house, food, cars, and even our lost ones that are steal missing. 

My feeling about this is the little kids that lost their lives so quick and not even ready to go to the light but it was sad because the wave came with no warning so that people can tell their love ones to stay home and wait when the tsunami is finish. but it was sad for those who didn’t meant to die. 

The next day I gone to Pago. It was sad. there was nothing only trash was everywhere no house no store but boat on the surface and even cars that are upside down. 

Tsunami Story: Maryann

Maryann: Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade

Well my story:

I don’t know where to start- okay- when I was at home I was ready for school, I felt something was trembling and the first thing that was just about bobbed in my mind is >>earthquake<<>>tsunami<<>>again<<  I stop the bus and I went there, but at that day I realize that that is just a wake up call for us but then our car came and my sister told me to hop on the car so we went straight on top of the mountain. and then later the next day something seems like nothing happened.

Tsunami Story: Orisse

Orisse : Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade, Village of Leone

On September 29, 2009 a tsunami attacked American Samoa. On this day I was on my way to school, so my mom and I stopped to the store to buy something to eat for breakfast. Right when we parked the car we felt an earthquake. I didn’t notice it was an earthquake until I saw some few people looking scared and I saw trees and the gound even our car shaking. The mountains were even collapsing and so right after the earthquake was finished, my mom said she’s not sure if we should go to school, but we should drop her off to work, so it was a deal. So were were on our way to Utulei to drop my mom off, there was a big traffic in Faganeanea, and so my mom changed her mind and thought we should go back and go straight home. As we turned to go back home I saw the ocean acting up. It was like the ocean was sucked up all the way in the back. So, I felt pretty scared. We were on our way home until my mom contact the police station and they said, we should go some where high, because the waves are coming. That was when we arrived in Pavaia’i. We tried calling my dad and my sister, but they didn’t pick up the phone, so we drove really fast until we got to Leone. We were on a hill and as I looked down the water was everywhere. It was like the houses were covered with water. I was so afraid and totally scared. I started panicking and I rushed my mom to call my dad and see if they are okay because, the land was all covered up. So my mom told my brother-in-law to go look for my sister, so he ran. I cried and cried. I was worried not knowing if my dad and my sister is okay. My mom and I waited for a few minutes, and then there was my sister. She was all wet and scared. She was with her husband. My dad went back to help some few people that was injured. I was scared. I thought the world is now coming to an end, but with hope and faith in our heavenly father, I know he will protect us and with those that lost their lives ‘cause of the tsunami. I hope they rest in peace for this very day will always be remembered what have occurred and witnessed on this tsunami day. There has been a child, she’s probably 5 years old, that had died, and a boy about 6 years old and we’re still searching for his body. All my love and condolence rest with those families that had a very serious damage with their houses and to those that had lost the love ones in the family. 

Tsunami Story: Brown

Brown : Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade, Village of Utulei

Well our island got attacked by a the earthquake and then tsunami, and it destroy everything on land. It makes me feel sad for those who lost their home and lost love one, but me I most my aunty at Pago Pago. I almost cried that day and then it was next day and they day was like. All people all were acting like there was nothing happened and I like that. They care that they am ok. But the only thing that make me feel bad that day was my aunty, we found her body under the house and we brig her body out of their house and put her at the hospital and we’re waiting for the day for her funeral. the end. 

Tsunami Story: Christopher

Christopher: Samoana High School Student, 9th Grade, Village of Faga’alu

On Tuesday I was at the hospital helping doctors, nurses, and EMS people. We were pushing illness people from down the hospital through the top of the mountain. What I felt on that day was very uncomfortable.

Me and this guy, he was a doctor, we had this treatment for this men, but we were his best, but soon we found out this mad was dead. We had three people dead. Our shirts, shorts, and our faces and hands were filled with the blood of these people. Our village Faga’alu was the hope for all this people came for help, we tried our best to feed and prepare for other things for them. The most horrible thing I saw was this one woman, she gave birth up the mountain. suddenly she said thanks to us all for helping and her baby name was Faga’alu. 

Tsunami Story: Alfred

Alfred: Samoana High School Student, 11th Grade, Village of Aua

On Tuesday September 29 I was sleeping that time when the earthquake shaking and my mom was telling to me and I was ran outside and my body was very shaking and my house was so shaking and I see up to the mountain it was falling down with rocks and after the earthquake until 5 minutes the ocean was coming together and they pop up and all the things from the ocean was came from tsunami and I went up to my neighbors house and looking from the waves and all the peoples from Aua went up to the road that go to Afono & Vatia and also our elementary school all the kids where going on the mountain and I ran to help for the kids and people for my village and my car was hit by tsunami and there was nothing broken just wet and trash was stick to the car and my family was very lucky from the tsunami. I love for the people that lost their members and the people and their loves. Good luck American Samoa and God Bless American Samoa. 

Tsunami Story: Julio

Julio: Samoana High School Student, 10th Grade, Village of Nu’uuli

Sept 29 2009 the tsunami was coming I was sleeping I don’t know about the tsunami. My friends told me it was a huge wave come to Pago Pago and hit houses and cars/ Some people died in the tsunami. I thank God for giving us a life.

Tsunami Story: David

David: Samoana High School Student, 9th Grade, Village of Faga’alu

In the time that the tsunami came I did not know because I was coming in that morning I was feeling something that shaking then I think is not something happen, and then I was walk in the office I was feeling again some thing that shaking that come outside the office and people said that run tsunami is coming. I said “ok,” and I run up to the mountain I was coming back down because I was come to see where my brother, then I ran back up my brother is standing up the faleo’o. Then I was feel that I want to go to my family because I was feeling that something happen. And I was up there I was looking down over our school I was see a road is wet and a lot of people that need help and lot of car that broken that time I was cry because I see down the road lot of people that running to see their family or their kid. And the other thing than happening when earthquake and tsunami coming I see lot of people die, people that looking for their family, and people that their house is lost, and their clothes and some of their car - are things that important but it is lost. And the other thing in following day our family talking to go help people that no house and no clothes, and then we go at Leone we havig lot of people that we help to give their food and give clothes. That is the only thing I do for people that need help. 

Tsunami Story: Motuga

Motuga: Samoana High School Student, 12th Grade, Village of Pago Pago

On the day the tsunami came I was still sleep the earthquake woke me up and when I got up my house crumbled and I never experienced something like this. The earthquake is strong and long it takes 5 to 15 second until the earthquake stop. I ran down the street to see if there are any unusual things happen in the ocean. When I got there in Pago Pago you can see rocks and coral and on the other side there are two big whirl pool. I started feel scared because I never see any whirl pool in my life before. When the whirl pool stop thats where the first wave came. It washed boats, ship, and sailing boats on the shore, people started crying and some of them start calling their families if they are okay. The following day I thought only Pago Pago is damage but when I turn on the radio some village damage badly, some people lost their families, some people lost their house and it makes me feel sad for them. This is the first time a tsunami came in Am. Samoa. 

Tsunami Story: Tenesio

Tenesio: Samoana High School Student, 11th Grade, Village of Afono

My story is about the tsunami that break all the houses in Samoa. I was on the school bus when the earthquake shaked. We didn’t feel the earthquake because the bus was too fast. When the time we came to school, we came to our turf . We hear the bell ringing and then Simon ran out and said to us, run up the tramway the tsunami coming. Then we ran up upstairs. The time we stand up on the top of the tramway we look at the ocean it seemed bad. Many kid crying and call their family and cry on the phone. I feel scared because my family were sleeping and they didnt know the tsunami warning. Many kid were get together and sing their song and pray to god for forgiveness. After we listen tot eh person on the radio that says the warning is finished. Then me and friend walked down and go to the store and buy food for healthy. After we eat we went to Fagatogo and come away to Pago Pago and see my family and their hurt.

Tsunami Story: Doug

Tsunami Story:

Doug: Samoana High School Student, 11th Grade, Village of Faga'alu

Where was I? I was in my car dropping of my mother. After the earthquake it seemed like an ordinary day although my mother worked for the Department of Homeland Security and has outreach programs which tell people to evacuate when a earthquake of that kind of magnitude happens. So were at the intersection entering into the main road, listening to the radio. The station said they got a call from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association) saying that there are no waves from any direction. The as we were turning to the main road the water across the bay started to come over the rock wall and out the road. So we flip a u-turn and head straight home. We lived in the Deep Valley, we also live behind the hospital, to ONLY hospital on the island. So as we are driving my parents tell me to take the care up the road, because they went to help evacuate patients from the hospital. I took the car locked it, got my sister, and walked down the road. It may sound like a stupid idea, but the hospital needed all the help it can get. We went down, I was carrying supplies up the mountain with some of my village boys. I walked outside of the ER with a box of supplies, and at least 2 cars pull up with dead bodies piled in the back and as they pull up the nurses sigh and say to themselves “Another DOA.” I thought to myself what does DOA mean. Walking up thinking to myself Dead On Arrival. Now from the extent of the damage of my village I didn’t think it was that bad until I saw the bodies coming like crazy...After a few hours when everything cooled down. I went to the EOC, the Emergency Operations Center. I was helping out the IT and communications specialist. I have some knowledge of IT and computers, so I was helping out as much a I can. Phone calls after phone calls were coming in like crazy people reporting about everything. Some of the liaisons were trying to find shelters for people who lost their home, and I didn’t sleep for three days. Then I drove out the the east side to help my uncle. His house sustained a lot of water damage. 

Tsunami Story: Tokita

Tsunami Story: 

Tokita: Samoana High School Student, 9th Grade

On September 29, 2009, when it 6:49 am the earth is getting shake, and our village is getting scary. People are sleeping. They didn’t know what happen in that morning. When the know, they went to their car, then they went to pick up their kids from school, because they know what will happen after. Also some kids are crying for their parent, and the parent are crying for their kids and some family lost their member ad also there are many people fro, the village of Pago Pago and Leone. And also I got one member of my family die from the village of Pago Pago. Their house fall on her, because she wad sleeping inside the house, and also that day I feel sorry about people that are die from the tsunami because the were late to go on high mountain.