How To Survive A Tsunami – The Samoan Version

How To Survive a Tsunami – An Amazing Story!

Everyone has heard of the tragic tsunamis that hit Banda Aceh on Boxing Day in 2004, and more recently, Japan in 2011. However, there is also another fairly recent tsunami event that claimed lives – and this happened in Samoa in September 2009. Which makes you think – How To Survive A Tsunami?

Ironically, I was in Banda Aceh at the time when I first heard the news of the Samoan Tsunami. That’s because it was front page news in Banda Aceh, because the word ‘tsunami’ is pretty much tattooed in everyone’s brain there.

Anyway, I recently visited the south coast of Upolu island in Samoa to see how things had recovered. A number of resorts were damaged or wiped out, which included Coconuts Beach Resort, Sinalei, and Seabreeze. I talked to Chris and Wendy from Seabreeze, and the place had been amazingly reconstructed and it looks like a pretty nice place to stay and chill out for a while, especially the honeymoon suite.

Their How To Survive A Tsunami Story

However, Chris and Wendy have an amazing tale. They were trapped in the Honeymoon suite when 4 separate tsunanmis came in and belted the place one after the other. They were holding onto railings, each other, and anything that wasn’t going to wash away. An earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter scale had occurred offshore, and they realised something was wrong.

This happened at about 6.45 am, so they hurriedly woke up all the guests and told them to evacuate. However, they didn’t have enough time to get out themselves! Chris and Wendy both saw the sea being sucked out, which is a tell tale sign that what Chris calls a FBW (a F*&$ing Big Wave) is coming!

Check out this amazing interview with Chris and his story. Just imagine a 10 metre wave crashing into the Honeymoon Suite when I move the camera to show it.

Some of the guests are still pulling out things out of the ocean like old wine bottles!

Of course, natural disasters like this hurt the local economy. Samoa hadn’t experienced a tsunami for more than 300 years, and it takes a chain of events for one to occur. I feel that the best way to help out a country that’s undergone a natural disaster, is to go there and visit to pump some money in the economy. This is tangible help that flows on to the locals, many of which are employed by tourism as such.

Anyway, I’m sure this was the biggest brown underpants moment Chris and Wendy had ever experienced.

As a footnote, I chatted to people from Sinalei, and they also had a great story about a security guard who had to smash down the door of a couple who didn’t want to leave. Minutes later, they would have been dead as their beachfront room was wiped out. They owe that guy their lives!

More How To Survive a Tsunami Stuff

Believe me, you won’t be able to spot the affected places unless someone points them out. But check out the Samoa Tourism Authority website for more information on great places to go.