The US Coast Guard has ordered the closing of American Samoa’s Pago Pago harbor and the StarKist tuna cannery has been forced to close due to an approaching cyclone, the second in just over a month.
“All ocean going commercial vessels and oceangoing barges greater than 200 gross tons that have not received captain of the port authorization to remain in port must depart the port immediately,†the Coast Guard said.
“Vessels bound for this port must seek an alternative destination.â€
Weather forecasters said the storm was still a tropical depression but they expected to name it Cyclone Garry later today.
People are being evacuated in Samoa and American Samoa ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.
The Samoan capital, Apia, has begun closing down, with public buildings shut and people moving back from the coast. The city is still damaged from Cyclone Evan, which killed 14 people in December.
Some families were being moved to churches.
The cyclone, which was passing over the French Wallis Island, was not going to make landfall but rather run close to the northern coasts of the two Samoas.
It is expected to come within 96 kilometers of Tutuila, the main American Samoan island.
On December 17, Samoa declared a state of emergency in the wake of Evan. It was only lifted last week
