
Samoa Tsunami: Litia Sini's Fales
Lalomanu Beach, Samoa
When the massive Tsunami struck Litia Sini's Beach Fales, the restaurant and deck were destroyed and smashed up into the steep hillside you see in the photo. Then the waves receded, pulling a lot of the debris back into the water. This is part of the framing of the restaurant which stood over the beach on the concrete pilings in the distance. The steep hillside made it very hard for people to get away from the huge wave. Only a few precious minutes passed between the earthquake and the moment the huge wave came crashing through the fales. The wave tore through the everything in it's path, carrying splintered wood and sharp shattered tin roofing directly into the people that were struggling to get up the hillside. Photo © copyright by Michael Anderson.