Samoa

In the context of Tropical Cyclone Evan, the International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" was activated twice to provide satellite-based emergency maps.

The first activation was initiated by UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UNOCHA for Samoa. Tropical Cyclone Evan struck Samoa on 13 December 2012, and made landfall as a Category 1 storm before intensifying to Category 3. The cyclone passed over Samoa for two days before moving on. At least four people have been reported killed and the entire nation of Samoa has been affected by the storm. Evan is reported to be one of the most destructive cyclones to strike Samoa on record and in the aftermath floods and landslides have caused further damage. Widespread damage to crops and infrastructure have resulted, and 4,500 people have taken shelter in refuges so far. It is expected that there will be food shortages following the loss of crops. The worst affected areas were those on the coasts and near river banks. Power was…

NASA satellites have been monitoring Tropical Cyclone Evan and providing data to forecasters who expected the storm to intensify. On Dec. 13, Evan had grown from a tropical storm into a cyclone as NASA satellites observed cloud formation, height and temperature, and rainfall rates.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite passed above intensifying tropical storm Evan in the South Pacific Ocean on Dec. 11, 2012 at 1759 UTC (12:59 p.m. EST/U.S.). An analysis of Evan's rainfall from TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) and Microwave Imager (TMI) showed that Evan already had an eye-like structure at the time of that TRMM orbit. Evan would later develop an eye on Dec. 13.

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Cyclone Evan after it had attained cyclone status on Dec. 13 and two instruments provided insight into what was happening with the storm.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured…