Hurricane (Typhoon) · American Samoa

Swains was critically stormed by Hurricane Ron on January 2, 1998. The Territorial Emergency Management Coordinating Office reported that all of the 49 residents of Swains Island were fine except for a few minor injuries. Most of the residential homes were destroyed, except for concrete buildings that withstood the strong winds. All of the residents took sheltered in one of the concrete buildings. One of the residents, a professional fishermen, estimated the sustained winds to be around 80-90 mph with higher gusts. The highest peak gust recorded at WSO-Tafuna was 37 mph on January 3, 1998, with a rainfall amount of 2.51 from January 2-5, 1998. No injuries or damages reported from the other Samoan islands.