WORLD IN BRIEF : SAMOA ISLANDS : 13 Dead, Thousands Homeless in Storm

At least a dozen people were dead in Western Samoa in the wake of a typhoon that battered the Pacific islands with winds of 150 m.p.h. One died in American Samoa. Thousands of people were reported homeless. An Australian army helicopter navigator who flew over the Western Samoa island of Savai’i reported houses flattened, roofs ripped off, trees snapped, roads full of debris and areas still flooded. Officials said shortages of drinking water posed a health risk. New Zealand, France, Britain and Australia were sending relief supplies.