Tsunami alert sparked by third earthquake in Kermadec Islands cancelled, threat passed

Friday, 5 March 2021

Location of a large earthquake near the Kermadec Islands.

A tsunami alert issued for much of New Zealand has been cancelled and residents who were earlier evacuated in Northland, Bay of Plenty and Great Barrier Island have been told they can return home.

The warning was issued by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at 8.50am on Friday, following a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in the Kermadec Islands, the third earthquake on Friday.

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Residents from Cape Reinga, in Northland, to Tolaga Bay, in Bay of Plenty, were told to “leave immediately for higher ground or as far inland as possible”.

That warning was in place until around 1:30pm when the advice was downgraded and people were advised to stay off beach and shore areas. It was cancelled at 3:45pm when NEMA said ocean observations showed any threat has now passed for all areas.

The National Emergency Management Agency said there is a danger to swimmers, surfers, people fishing, small boats and anyone in or near the water close to shore in many of New Zealand's coastal regions.

**READ MORE:

Hundreds of Mangawhai Heads residents wait out the tsunami warning on higher ground.

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Traffic in Northland was heavy as evacuated locals fled to higher ground.

At the height of the alert, cellphones in high-alert areas received a tsunami alert and tsunami sirens were activated.

A Civil Defence mobile emergency alert sent to Aucklanders mid-morning advised them to stay away from the sea, rivers and estuaries due to the marine tsunami threat to coastal areas.

Several tidal surges were spotted across the country throughout the morning, including one caught on video at Tokomaru Bay.

Traffic is jammed for Whangārei residents evacuating their homes – dark red lines indicate that traffic is at a standstill.

People at the lookout in Hillcrest after evacuating Whakatāne.

The entire evacuated township on the east coast watched from above as a large surge of water swept into the bay, suddenly changing the shade of the water's colour.

None of the tidal surges appear to have caused any damage.

In its latest advice, NEMA said: “The advice from GNS Science, based on ocean observations, is that the Beach and Marine threat has now passed for all areas.

“Strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges will continue for up to another 24 hours. People should remain vigilant and take extra precautions with regards to beach and ocean activities.”

Northland

Earlier on Friday, Sheridan Waitai, of Ngāti Kuri which oversees the Kermadec Islands/Rangitāhua, said the iwi evacuated villages and campgrounds at Spirits Bay, Te Kao and near Cape Reinga/Te Rerenga Wairua.

“It’s remote up there and not very hilly, it’s 12km from both coasts so a tsunami could technically cross that.”

Ruakākā resident Rhys Owen was at work at HC Surfboards on Kepa Rd, which is about a 10-minute walk from the beach, when he received the first emergency alert on his cellphone and later heard the sirens going off.

Owen’s evacuation efforts where delayed by some “pretty heavy traffic” at Marsden Point heading towards the Ruakākā roundabout.

There were a few trees along the road, so “if we have to get out and clamber up we will”.

The floor of Tokomaru Bay Four Square after a 7.1 magnitude quake near Te Araroa on Friday morning.

Owen, who shared his car with one of his stepchildren, a workmate and their two dogs, had arrived safely at a friend’s house on Prescott Rd by 10am, where hundreds of cars were parked up

“Most people just standing around and waiting.”

Some people ignored the tsunami warning to stay away from the water, at the southern end of Ōrewa beach in north Auckland.

He said his other children at Bream Bay High School had already been moved to high ground by the school.

David Edmunds, of One Tree Point, was among those stuck in traffic in Whangārei as people tried to leave the city.

“We’re going at a crawling pace and I would guess the traffic is backed up to Marsden Point.”

Those on Great Barrier Island were evacuated to higher ground due to the likelihood of unpredictable tidal surges. (File photo)

Barbara and Murphy Shortland, who live above Jacks Bay in Russell, said they witnessed some 'unusual' tidal activity on Friday morning.

'When we got up at 9am this morning the tide was out, but by 9:45am it was high tide. I checked the paper and it was supposed to be high tide at 1pm,” Barbara said.

The tide had been out 'ten metres or more,' said Murphy, add that the mudflat had also been exposed.

The tide came back in 'really flat' as opposed to a 'crashing wave”, Barbara said.

The evacuation point at Mangawhai Heads was bustling as a couple of hundred people settled in for the day, waiting for the tsunami threat to pass.

The Shortlands said they felt 'safe and well' alongside other Russell residents, whom were “out on lawns and sharing balconies'.

Bay of Plenty

In Whakatāne, traffic started to back up in the early hours of the morning as people started fleeing for the hills.

Apanui School, in Whakatāne, told parents on social media it had evacuated the school up Mokorua Gorge and that “traffic was crazy”.

Alison Robinson, pictured at the Mangawhai Heads evacuation with her dog Surf, said she has never experienced anything like this in the 10 years she has been living in the area.

They told residents everyone was accounted for.

“Your kids are safe, make sure you are.”

In photos on social media, police could be seen at the Commerce St roundabout directing people inland towards Taneatua, while hundreds of others in the community were seen walking up the Ōhope hill.

Farmers were also doing what they could to get their stock to higher ground.

One dairy farmer, who didn’t want to be named, rushed to his lifestyle block in Ōtākiri, 12km from Matatā, after the alert came through.

“I’m just doing what I can, as fast as I can, but I need to go soon,” he said.

The two earthquakes near the Kermadec Islands follow a 7.1 magnitude earthquake near Te Araroa at 2.27am.

GeoNet classified the earthquake as severe, and people all across the North Island reported they had felt it.

Auckland

The emergency alert sent to Aucklanders on Friday advised them to stay away from the water.

Despite this, people could be seen fishing, swimming and paddle boarding at Ōrewa beach at about 11.50am.

Approximately 1100 locals and visitors to Great Barrier Island, Auckland’s most exposed area at risk of tsunami, moved to high ground.

Great Barrier Island local board chair Izzy Fordham said police, Fire and Emergency NZ and the island’s own emergency response team told residents and farmers in lower lying areas they needed to move.

'I'm pleased to say all were pretty onto it,” Fordham said.

Chlöe Swarbrick, MP for Auckland Central which includes Great Barrier Island, said she had been in touch with local authorities who had mobilised resources to respond to the tsunami threat.

This included relocating the island's medical centre to higher ground.

'This is not their first rodeo,' she said.

She added that those ignoring the threat could put emergency service personnel at risk should they require rescuing.

'I would think they are all pretty familiar with how public health messaging is intended to keep us all safe.'

Auckland Transport suspended all ferry sailings on Friday morning and some trains were cancelled, but all services resumed by 3pm.