Rene slams US Samoa

PAGO PAGO: A storm with hurricane-force winds slammed into American Samoa yesterday, just five months after it was hit by a deadly tsunami.

Tropical Cyclone Rene hit the sparsely populated Manu'a Islands with sustained winds of 120km/h. Meteorologist Mase Akapo said the eye of the storm was likely to pass over Tutuila, the most populated island in the territory of 65,000 people.

Rene may also threaten Samoa, the Tokelau Islands, Tonga and Fiji.

Forecasters at the Nadi Tropical Cyclone Centre in Fiji issued a gale watch warning for Samoa's main island of Upolu, home to 135,000, where the September tsunami killed 183 people.

Residents on Tutuila have been boarding up windows and stocking up on bottled water, torches and candles.

Most businesses closed early to allow employees to go home. All public and private schools shut down. Authorities in Tonga, Nuie and the Cook Islands have warned residents to prepare for the storm.

The US Coast Guard advised vessels bound for Pago Pago to reroute.

- AP