People cram themselves into cars bound for higher ground following news of a possible tsunami triggered by a quake near Vanuatu.
The tsunami does not happen, but he can understand their panic.
The retired Dunedin man has spent the past week in Samoa in his role as disaster assessment specialist with the Red Cross.
Mr Clark (66) said the mood was still "sombre" following last Wednesday's tsunami, which killed more than 130 people in the South Pacific nation.
Securing a supply of water was a major task for the country, as the tsunami destroyed a large tract of water pipes.
In one area the tsunami was recorded at 11m above sea level, and clothing was strung over power lines in the worst-hit areas.
Many villagers had opted to live "in the plantations up the hill", and it was uncertain if they would return to their coastal way of life, making it difficult to determine where to rebuild, he said.
"It is best left to those communities to decide what they want."
Mr Clark said he would stay in Samoa for another two weeks to assist in its recovery phase.
He urged any New Zealanders contemplating a holiday in Samoa to visit, as tourism was an important source of revenue for the country.
The many people who had flown to Samoa and offered their services had helped with the recovery, he said.
Dr Kim Maiai, the University of Otago Student Health Services director, is one such volunteer.
Speaking from the emergency department of an Apia hospital, Dr Maiai said health services were being co-ordinated "extremely well".
"We have debriefing each day. Everything is very well run, with plenty of supplies."
Many of his patients had suffered soft-tissue injuries, and were grateful to the many volunteer medical staff who had offered assistance to Samoa, he said.
Of concern were the many families who had moved inland, some of whom were coming into the hospitals and mobile medical units to have injuries checked.
Doctors were also checking for signs of infectious diseases, such as gastroenteritis, typhoid and measles.
Late yesterday afternoon, New Zealand civil defence authorities cancelled their tsunami warning, issued in the wake of several large earthquakes near Vanuatu, 2200km northwest of Auckland.
A tsunami watch was issued for the whole country yesterday morning, but was then changed to cover the west coast from North Cape to Hokitika, and the east coast from North Cape to Auckland.
