Poloa, American Samoa

Poloa
Village
Poloa
Coordinates: 14°19′18″S 170°49′58″W / 14.32167°S 170.83278°W / -14.32167; -170.83278
Country  United States
Territory  American Samoa
Area
 • Total 0.33 sq mi (0.85 km2)
Population (2000)
 • Total 203
 • Density 620/sq mi (240/km2)

Poloa is a village in American Samoa. It is located at the west side of Tutuila in the Alataua District. The village has approximately 300 citizens. The main denominations in the area are Methodist and Christian. Poloa has one elementary school.

According to history, Poloa was one of the poorest village in Samoa. Since American culture was introduced, many Poloa villagers worked at shipyards of Germans and Americans.

Poloa is the western terminus of American Samoa Highway 001.

2009 tsunami

Almost every building in town was severely damaged by the 2009 tsunami, including most houses and a church. Reconstruction work was carried out under the command of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Two large tsunami waves struck the village. The first wave came from the north and the second wave from the northeast. The Matai saw the tsunami approaching and warned residents of the need to evacuate. Consequentially, almost all residents successfully escaped the tsunami. One victim was recorded in Poloa.[1]

Taputapu Elementary School and the Early Childhood Education Center were completely destroyed by the earthquake-triggered tsunami. Funding of $3 million from the Federal Emergency Management Administration was given the village to rebuild, but they refused to provide funding for the school to be rebuilt at its original site, due to the close proximity to the sea. The elementary school was therefore to be built to the north in Fagalii. It was the last to be rebuilt of five elementary schools in the territory destroyed by the tsunami.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Esteban, Miguel and Hiroshi Takagi (2015). Handbook of Coastal Disaster Mitigation for Engineers and Planners. Butterworth-Heinemann. Pages 80-81. ISBN 9780128012703.
  2. ↑ http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/268043/american-samoa-school-destroyed-by-tsunami-to-finally-be-rebuilt
  3. ↑ http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/303671/rebuild-for-american-samoa-schools-wrecked-by-tsunami

Coordinates: 14°19′18″S 170°49′58″W / 14.32167°S 170.83278°W / -14.32167; -170.83278


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