ThePacificislandkingdomofSamoawasdominatedbyGermanyandtheUnitedStatesinthe1880s.Whenin1889GermanydecidedtointerveneinaSamoancivilwar,threeAmericanwarshipsweredispatchedtoSamoatokeepaneyeonthethreeGermanwarshipsthere.
Tensionbetweenthetwocountriesgrew.AmericanpublicopinionwasinflamedbyreportsthatAmericancitizensinSamoawerebeingtreatedpoorlybyGermansoldiers,andthatanAmericanflaghadbeentorndown.Warseemedimminent.
Thenon19March,apowerfultyphoonstrucktheisland,severelydamagingallsixoftheAmericanandGermanwarships.Asmanyas50Americansand95Germansperished.Thedisastereasedtensions,andofficersfoundthemselvesattendingmemorialservicesfortheirdeadandforthoseoftheirenemy.Eventually,theUnitedStatesandGermanyagreedtoputSamoaunderajointprotectorate.
一八八○年代，美、德兩國控制了太平洋島上王國薩摩亞。一八八九年，德國決定干預薩摩亞一場內戰，美國就派遣戰船三艘，到薩摩亞監視當地的三艘德國戰船。
兩國關係日趨緊張。有報道說，美國公民在薩摩亞遭德軍不客氣對待，又說一面美國國旗給扯了下來，美國的主戰輿論一時沸沸揚揚。戰爭似乎迫在眉睫。
到了三月十九日，強烈颱風吹襲薩摩亞，六艘美、德戰船全遭重創，五十個美國人、九十五個德國人遇難。這場災難緩和了美、德關係，兩國軍官既出席己方死者追悼會，也出席敵方死者追悼會。最後，美、德協議，使薩摩亞成為雙方的保護國。