Meteorological history | |
---|---|
Formed | December 9, 2012 |
Extratropical | December 19, 2012 |
Dissipated | December 27, 2012 |
Category 4 severe tropical cyclone | |
10-minute sustained (FMS) | |
Highest winds | 185 km/h (115 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 943 hPa (mbar); 27.85 inHg |
Category 4-equivalent tropical cyclone | |
1-minute sustained (SSHWS/JTWC) | |
Highest winds | 230 km/h (145 mph) |
Lowest pressure | 929 hPa (mbar); 27.43 inHg |
Overall effects | |
Fatalities | 14 confirmed |
Damage | $313 million (2012 USD) |
Areas affected | Samoa, American Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand |
IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2012–13 South Pacific cyclone season |
Severe Tropical Cyclone Evan was considered to be the worst tropical cyclone to affect the island nation of Samoa since Cyclone Val in 1991 and was the strongest storm to impact the main South Pacific islands until Winston in 2016. The system was first noted on December 9, 2012, as a weak tropical depression about 700 km (435 mi) to the northeast of Suva, Fiji. Over the next couple of days, the depression gradually developed further before it was named Evan on December 12, as it had fully developed into a tropical cyclone. During that day the system moved toward the Samoan Islands and gradually intensified, before the system slowed and severely affected the Samoan Islands during the next day with wind gusts of up to 210 km/h (130 mph).
The storm moved east and impacted the French islands of Wallis and Futuna before affecting Samoa and American Samoa. On December 16, Evan turned to the south and paralleled western areas of Fiji.[1]