SYDNEY – A tsunami warning in parts of New Zealand was suspended on Friday afternoon, hours after authorities told coastal residents to evacuate after an 8.1 magnitude earthquake in the South Pacific.
The earthquake was reported Friday morning near the Kermadec Islands, which lie between Tonga and New Zealand’s North Island, according to the US Geological Survey.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center urged the public in the region to be vigilant and closely monitor the situation, saying that “tsunami waves have been observed”.
At 1:15 pm local time, the New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency told residents that they had already evacuated that it was safe to return to their homes. It said that “the bigger waves have passed”.
The agency advised the public to continue avoiding beaches and coastal areas, warning that strong and unusual currents and unpredictable waves pose a danger.
Following evacuation orders and warnings to stay away from the coast, thousands of New Zealanders fled to higher ground, walking, driving and cycling.
Several cities near the country’s northern coast were empty within hours of tsunami warnings via sirens or government text messages.
“This was a dynamic event that is constantly evolving,” said Emergency Management Minister Kiri Allan at a news conference on Friday. “People have been doing the right things in the region, picking up, packing and, in general, keeping their cool.”
Several people near the coast reported seeing disturbing signs of water receding and churning.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Daniel Thompson, owner of a motel in Doubtless Bay, on the east coast of the North Island, described unusual tide changes that seemed to disrupt local wildlife.
“The seagulls were completely quiet – they just sat and did nothing,” said Thompson. “The activity of the birds has been very strange.”
People in Whangarei, in the Northland region, described an unusual color for the water in the port and the drop in water level, TVNZ reported.
Traditional Maori meeting houses, known as marae, helped to shelter and feed evacuees, mainly in the eastern bay of Plenty, near Whakatane.
“Some people have been traveling to marae or have been in the marae since this morning, so they are feeding them and just offering comfort,” said Shane Te Pou, who is originally from Kawerau. “Like a church, a marae’s doors never close.”
New Zealand officials said on Friday that the tsunami threat would last for several hours while geologists collected data on the impact of the earthquakes. The waves near the epicenter move quickly and then slow down and gain size as they approach the land. In New Zealand, officials said the expected increase could reach three meters, or almost 10 feet.
“We are asking those who have moved to higher ground or inland to remain where they are until official authorization is given,” said Allan, the minister of emergency management, on Friday. “We know that people can be a little bit, maybe, tired or bored sitting at home or whatever, but we are asking people not to leave these areas until everything is clean.”
A tsunami warning that had been issued for the state of Hawaii has been canceled, with meteorologists saying the islands no longer faced a threat. The clock had been in effect for just over an hour.
“This is a good reminder to stay tuned and be prepared,” said Governor David Ige of Hawaii in Twitter.
Less than two hours before the 8.1 magnitude earthquake, seismologists recorded a 7.4 magnitude earthquake about 31 miles to the west, the US Geological Survey said. The agency said the first earthquake was probably what is known as a quake.
Six hours earlier, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake was reported about 560 miles to the south, seismologists said.
Damien Cave reported from Sydney, Neil Vigdor reported from Greenwich, Connecticut, and Natasha Frost reported from Auckland.