Manu'a District, American Samoa
District storm and disaster record · FIPS 60020 · population 852
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 200 records for Manu'a District, American Samoa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 152 days; the most frequent are rip current and surf records (88 records). 200 of them are forecast-zone records, which the National Weather Service files once per zone: a county covered by several zones receives each one, so a single storm can add several records on the same day. The deadliest single record is the September 29, 2009 tsunami, filed for the forecast zone Tutuila, which covers the county: 32 deaths, 148 injuries and $111 million in damage in 2025 dollars. FEMA has issued 15 declarations naming the county since 1966, 13 of them for natural hazards; the latest for a natural hazard was “Tropical Storm Gita” on March 2, 2018.
The record, 1950 to 2026
Storm records filed for the county each year (2026 to June 30, 2026). Before 1996 NOAA recorded only tornadoes (from 1950), thunderstorm wind and hail (from 1955).
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $100,000
- $100,000 or more
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more, or a death
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- 1955: wind and hail recorded from 1955
- 1996: all 48 event types from 1996
- Storm records
- 200on 152 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 50176 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $282Mas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 15latest 2020
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026 (file revision 20260918); damage converted to 2025 dollars with the BLS CPI-U. Search the record at NCEI. BLS consumer price index.
What hazards hit Manu'a District most?
The most frequent records are rip current and surf records: 88 since 1998. Census land area gives no figure for Manu'a District under this code, so it carries no per-area rank.
| Hazard | Records | Days | First, last | Killed | Injured | Damage | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip currents and high surf | 88 | 78 | 1998-2025 | 50 | 156 | $118M | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 71 | 43 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $11M | – |
| Floods | 17 | 15 | 1998-2025 | 0 | 0 | $2.2M | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 13 | 13 | 1998-2018 | 0 | 20 | $152M | – |
| Drought | 5 | 5 | 1998-2023 | 0 | 0 | $48K | – |
| Heat | 4 | 4 | 2016-2022 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Landslides and avalanches | 2 | 2 | 2004-2006 | 0 | 0 | $82K | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (county and forecast-zone records attributed to the county; a zone record shows its own totals on each county it covers). Days: dates with at least one record of the hazard in the county. Ranks: days with a record per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer), since 1950 for tornadoes, 1955 for hail and thunderstorm wind, 1996 for the rest.
When was the last damaging storm in Manu'a District?
The most recent record with damage, injuries or deaths is the September 17, 2025 strong wind ($25,000 in damage in 2025 dollars).
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-09-17 | Strong WindManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 43 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $25K |
| 2025-08-12 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-08-06 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-07-30 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-07-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-05-08 | Strong WindManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 30 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $30K |
| 2025-05-07 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $10K | |
| 2025-05-07 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $24K | |
| 2025-05-07 | Coastal FloodManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $30K |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database; every record of 2025-2026 is listed, earlier ones when they caused deaths, injuries or $250,000 of damage (2025 dollars), and every tornado.
The deadliest and costliest records
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-09-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila A 7.9 earthquake occurred about 120 miles southwest of Pago Pago and it shook the entire Samoan and Tongan region. The earthquake occurred around 648 am Samoan local time, and it took within 15 minutes for the tsunami waves to reach the Samoan Islands. | 32 | 148 | $111M | |
| 2007-02-17 | Rip CurrentManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila After 10:00 am Sunday 18 February 2007, 2 bodies were found and 1 lost at sea along the mouth of Aoa village harbor which lies to the north to northeast of Tutuila Island of American Samoa. The youngest of the deceased was seen alive Saturday afternoon as he was yelling for help in the ocean while swimming. 2 ... | 3 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-09-28 | Rip CurrentManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila NWS Employee from the village of Amouli and friend of one of the fishermen who lost his life reported the tragic event. Strong rip currents swept two fishermen at the edge of the reef when surfs were transitioning from high to low tide. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2020-06-15 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila Observations from the PacIOOS buoy reported surfs over 16 feet with steep wave heights near 12 to 15 feet. This combination along with strong winds caused a small craft to capsize near the auasi port of entry. 15 passengers were onboard and had drifted to sea for nearly 2 hours until help was found. Unfortunately 2 ... | 2 | 0 | $23K | |
| 2019-08-17 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila News from the talanei reported two boys swept out to sea during high surf conditions due to strong rip currents. | 2 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-08-12 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila According to KHJ News, a 15-year-old boy died on the afternoon of the 12th after being swept away by high surf while swimming at the Leala Sliding Rocks shoreline on Tutuila island, near the villages of Vailoatai and Taputimu. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2025-08-06 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila A 20 year old man was swept out to sea by large and powerful surf on the afternoon of August 06th while sitting along the shore line between Maliu Mai and the airport in the villages of Ili'ili and Tafuna, according to Talanei.com. | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2024-04-02 | Rip CurrentManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila Local broadcast media reports that the Department of Search and Rescue began searching for a man who was swept out at sea due to rough seas while swimming along the coastline of Fogagogo village on the afternoon of April 2nd. Due to continuing rough sea conditions, the search operation was limited throughout the ... | 1 | 1 | – |
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-09-29 | TsunamiManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 32 | 148 | $111M | |
| 2004-01-04 | Hurricane (Typhoon)Manu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 20 | $78M | |
| 2018-02-09 | Tropical StormManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $61M | |
| 2015-11-27 | Tropical StormManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $12M | |
| 2003-05-17 | High SurfManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $5.6M | |
| 2013-07-02 | Strong WindManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 39 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $5.1M |
| 2012-02-05 | Strong WindManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 44 kt wind | 0 | 0 | $3.9M |
| 2022-07-13 | Coastal FloodManu'a District · forecast zone Tutuila | 0 | 0 | $1.9M |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths and injuries direct and indirect; damage is property plus crops as estimated by the National Weather Service, converted to 2025 dollars.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Manu'a District's most frequent hazards. Counts rose everywhere after 1996, when NOAA began recording every event type, so compare decades within a hazard's complete period only (the shaded cells come before it).
| Hazard | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rip currents and high surf | – | – | – | – | 4 | 36 | 22 | 26 |
| High wind and dust storms | – | – | – | – | 2 | 15 | 8 | 46 z |
| Floods | – | – | – | – | 3 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | – | – | – | – | 3 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
High wind and dust storms in the 2020-26: 46 records against 8 in the decade before, 46 of them forecast-zone records. Cells marked z rose mostly through zone records. The local National Weather Service office files these once per forecast zone, so a change in how it draws its zones or splits a storm into records moves this count as much as the weather does; read it beside the Manu'a District days with a record above.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records per calendar decade; zone records from the CZ_TYPE field (Z).
What time of year?
Records by month in Manu'a District. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 25 · Feb 51 · Mar 7 · Apr 12 · May 11 · Jun 19 · Jul 17 · Aug 10 · Sep 23 · Oct 8 · Nov 4 · Dec 13 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Manu'a District
FEMA's register lists 15 declarations that include Manu'a District: 13 major disasters, 2 emergencies and 0 fire management assistance declarations. Most were for hurricane (5) and typhoon (4).
| Declared | Number | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-04-17 | DR-4537 | Biological | Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2020-03-13 | EM-3465 | Biological | Covid-19 |
| 2018-03-02 | DR-4357 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Gita |
| 2018-02-11 | EM-3397 | Hurricane | Tropical Storm Gita |
| 2014-09-10 | DR-4192 | Severe Storm | Severe Storms, Flooding, and Landslides |
| 2009-09-29 | DR-1859 | Earthquake | Earthquake,Tsunami, and Flooding |
| 2005-02-18 | DR-1582 | Typhoon | Tc Olaf, Includ. High Winds and Surf and Heavy Rainfall |
| 2004-01-13 | DR-1506 | Typhoon | High Winds, High Surf, and Heavy Rainfall Associated With Tropcial Cyclone Heta |
| 1991-12-13 | DR-927 | Hurricane | Hurricane Val |
| 1990-02-09 | DR-855 | Hurricane | Hurricane Ofa |
| 1987-01-24 | DR-785 | Hurricane | Hurricane Tusi |
| 1981-03-24 | DR-637 | Typhoon | Typhoon Esau |
| 1979-11-09 | DR-610 | Flood | Flooding, Mudslides & Landslides |
| 1974-09-30 | DR-449 | Drought | Drought |
| 1966-02-10 | DR-213 | Typhoon | Typhoon & High Tides |
Source: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries (v2), declarations through October 2, 2026; one declaration is counted once however many areas it names. OpenFEMA dataset page.
Next
- Rip currents and high surf in American SamoaThe state's rip current and surf records, by county, year and month
- The American Samoa recordEvery hazard in the state, its deadliest events and its federal declarations
- FEMA's risk rating for each hazard in Manu'a DistrictThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Manu'a District's FEMA declarations (CSV)15 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis