Hurricanes that hit Swains Island, American Samoa: hurricane history

4 storms have passed within 50 km of Swains Island from 1957 to 2010, coloured by intensity on the map.

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Years1842 to 2026
Ocean basin

Choosing a minimum category hides storms with no wind speed in the record. To see which storms have passed near you, search a town or ZIP code, or tap the map.

Key
  • Tropical depression Winds below 34 knots (39 mph)
  • Tropical storm 34 to 63 knots (39 to 73 mph)
  • Category 1 64 to 82 knots (74 to 95 mph)
  • Category 2 83 to 95 knots (96 to 110 mph)
  • Category 3 96 to 112 knots (111 to 129 mph), major
  • Category 4 113 to 136 knots (130 to 156 mph), major
  • Category 5 137 knots (157 mph) or more, major
  • Unknown intensity No wind speed in the record
  • Post-tropical Storm has become post-tropical (dashed line)

How to read the lines. Each line is the track of one storm, drawn through its six-hourly positions and coloured by its intensity at each point (the Saffir-Simpson scale), so a line changes colour as the storm strengthens or weakens. Tap a line for its details, or tap anywhere else to see which storms have passed nearby. Weaker storms appear as you zoom in. Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same kind of storm with different names in different oceans.

Storms near Swains Island

The record holds 4 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Swains Island, American Samoa between 1957 and 2010. The busiest month is January, with 2 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached tropical storm strength. 1 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.

  • 4storms within 50 km
  • 0major (category 3 to 5) near here
  • 0at category 1 strength or more

A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.

How strong were the storms near Swains Island?

Category near hereStormsShare
Tropical depression125%
Tropical storm250%
Category 100%
Category 200%
Category 300%
Category 400%
Category 500%
Unknown intensity125%

The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (southern hemisphere).

Swains Island storms over time

Storms by decade
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 1 in 1950s.1950s11980s11990s12010s1

The 2010s only run to 2010, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1957, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.

Show the numbers
PeriodCount
1950s1
1980s1
1990s1
2010s1

Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.

Storms by month
Bar chart of storms by period. The most is 2 in Jan.Jan2Feb1Mar0Apr1May0Jun0Jul0Aug0Sep0Oct0Nov0Dec0
Show the numbers
PeriodCount
Jan2
Feb1
Mar0
Apr1
May0
Jun0
Jul0
Aug0
Sep0
Oct0
Nov0
Dec0

Strongest storms near Swains Island

  • Ron (1998)1 January 1998 to 9 January 1998, Tropical storm (50 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 900 hPa
  • Zuman (1987)19 April 1987 to 26 April 1987, peak Tropical storm (55 kt), 975 hPa

Most recent storms near Swains Island

  • Oli (2010)29 January 2010 to 8 February 2010, Tropical depression (30 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 925 hPa
  • Ron (1998)1 January 1998 to 9 January 1998, Tropical storm (50 kt) near here, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 900 hPa
  • Zuman (1987)19 April 1987 to 26 April 1987, peak Tropical storm (55 kt), 975 hPa

Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.

A storm that came near several counties counts in each one, so county counts add up to more than the state's.

Notable storms near Swains Island

  • Ron (1998)1 January 1998 to 9 January 1998, peak Category 5 (145 kt), 900 hPa
  • Oli (2010)29 January 2010 to 8 February 2010, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 925 hPa

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