Satellite imagery shows Cyclone Amos looming near Samoa. Image / http://earth.nullschool.net
Satellite imagery shows Cyclone Amos looming near Samoa. Image / http://earth.nullschool.net
Tropical Cyclone Amos is starting to show its fierce hand over Samoa, with reports of flash flooding, trees down and mass power outages.
The brunt of the storm - expected to become a category 4-strong cyclone - is forecast to hit the island nation in the early hours of thismorning.
Samoa's Disaster Management Office is sending out warnings to locals via its social media pages, as strong winds and heavy rain have started to bring down power lines. There has been flash-flooding in parts of the big island of Savaii, where authorities say a bridge in Salei'a, on the northern coast, has been washed away - preventing access to and from neighbouring villages.
That area is particularly popular with tourists as there are a number of well-known resorts and accommodation sites on that stretch of road.
Samoan Police issued a warning late on Saturday night that downtown Apia was now flooded and the public were urged to stay indoors as the roads were unsafe for travelling.
Mr Afoa is manning a local radio station overnight, in a bid to keep locals informed. He said they were running on a generator now.
Authorities have warned locals to refrain from travelling on various roads where fallen trees and power lines were now blocking access. It was not yet safe for authorities to head out to remove the debris, so locals were being told to stay inside.
Cyclone Amos is also tracking towards American Samoa; where locals there are also preparing for the worst over the next few day or two.
Meanwhile, Samoans have started to use the hashtag #TCAmosWatch on social media in a bid to keep friends and families both in the motherland and overseas updated.
