Western District, American Samoa
District storm and disaster record · FIPS 60050 · population 31,217
NOAA's Storm Events Database holds 19 records for Western District, American Samoa from 1950 through June 30, 2026, on 19 days; the most frequent are rip current and surf records (10 records). All of them are forecast-zone records: they describe weather over a zone that covers Western District, not events filed for it alone. FEMA has issued 16 declarations naming the county since 1966, 14 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
- 19on 19 days, 1950 to June 30, 2026
- Deaths recorded
- 00 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $90Kas filed (scale steps before 1993)
- FEMA declarations
- 16latest 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 Western District most?
The most frequent records are rip current and surf records: 10 since 1999. Census land area gives no figure for Western 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 | 10 | 10 | 1999-2020 | 0 | 0 | $11K | – |
| Drought | 4 | 4 | 1998-1998 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Hurricanes and tropical storms | 4 | 4 | 1998-2011 | 0 | 0 | $79K | – |
| High wind and dust storms | 1 | 1 | 1999-1999 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
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.
Is it getting more frequent?
Records per decade for Western 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 | – | – | – | – | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
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 Western District. The two busiest months are in violet.
The values, month by month
Jan 3 · Feb 4 · Mar 2 · Apr 2 · May 1 · Jun 0 · Jul 1 · Aug 2 · Sep 1 · Oct 2 · Nov 1 · Dec 0 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began.
Federal disaster declarations for Western District
FEMA's register lists 16 declarations that include Western District: 14 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 |
| 2003-06-06 | DR-1473 | Severe Storm | Heavy Rainfall, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides |
| 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.
Counties that share a border with Western District
Source: U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file; NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1950. The Census Bureau's adjacency file.
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 Western DistrictThe hazard risk calculator: 18 hazards beside the county's record
- Download Western District's FEMA declarations (CSV)16 rows: every declaration that named the county, for your own analysis