Observations from the 2009 Samoa Tsunami: Damage Potential in Coastal Communities
Publication: Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 2
Abstract
The September 2009 tsunami devastated the Samoan Islands. Damages observed in eighteen coastal villages following this natural disaster are presented. Using observations and idealized numerical simulations, four main conclusions are drawn regarding tsunami damage patterns in these communities. First, for coastal regions with steep terrain, damage to structures is a function of distance from the shoreline, elevation, construction, and topographic conditions. Second, in those villages where inundation is confined by topography (steep bluffs or mountains), damage is more severe. Third, when inundation is unconfined by topography, damage potential (capacity to cause damage, should buildings of a certain construction be present) in these villages increases with decreasing mean topographic slope. Fourth, run-up height and flood elevation may not be the best indicator of damage potential in these villages, which are characterized by irregular topography. Finally, a damage potential formulation is presented which considers both hydrodynamic loading and topography. The proposed damage potential formulation can be used as a tool to help governments, emergency planners, and forecasters to prioritize hazard mitigation initiatives, evacuations, and detailed tsunami forecast simulations.
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Acknowledgments
This material is based upon work supported by the American Society of Civil Engineers and by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSF0936595. The writers wish to thank Dr. Robert Weiss (Virginia Tech) for providing idealized MOST simulations.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Waterway, Port, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 2 • March 2012
Pages: 131 - 141
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 15, 2011
Accepted: Jul 21, 2011
Published online: Jul 25, 2011
Published in print: Mar 1, 2012
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