Tsunami warning after the 7.1 million earthquake that hits Te Araroa in the North Island

The National Emergency Management Agency issued a tsunami warning for New Zealand’s coastal areas following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake off the Eastern Cape.

It is a land and marine tsunami threat.

Geonet reported that the 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck about 95 kilometers east of Te Araroa, on the North Island, at 2.27 am, causing “severe” tremors. It was originally reported as a 7.4m earthquake, later degraded. The intensity of the earthquake was described as severe.

The earthquake was felt across New Zealand, with people in Auckland, Wellington and even Christchurch reporting the shaking.

The National Emergency Management Agency says people close to shore from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay should immediately move to the nearest high ground, outside of the tsunami evacuation zones or as far inland as possible.

They should not return until Civil Defense gives an official message that everything is clear.

Hear the latest reports on Newstalk ZB:

Civil Defense warns anyone who lives on the coast and feels a strong or prolonged earthquake that reaches higher ground immediately.

Civil Defense says on its website that the evacuation notice overrides the current Covid-19 alert level requirements.

The National Emergency Management Agency says people should listen to local civil defense authorities and follow evacuation instructions. Floods are expected in areas under terrestrial and marine threat.

The specified area is the east coast of the North Island from Cape Runaway to Tolaga Bay.

Fire and Emergency NZ implemented tsunami procedures in the eastern coastal regions this morning as a precautionary measure.

The National Emergency Management Agency says that people in coastal areas should:

* Listen to radio and / or television for updates, and Twitter from NZCivilDefence;

* Listen to the local Civil Defense authorities;

* Stay out of the water (sea, rivers and estuaries, this includes boats);

* Stay away from beaches and coastal areas;

* Don’t go sightseeing;

* Share this information with family, neighbors and friends.

The first earthquake was followed by another four, a 5, 4.5, 5.2 and 4.7, also centered about 120 km from the Eastern Cape.

People on the east coast can check if they are in a tsunami zone here: http://www.gdc.govt.nz/tsunami-evacuation-maps/

According to the Napier FB pages, some people are heading inland. Traffic has been observed going through Taradale to Dolbel Reserve.

“She was a beauty, she really shook. I’m pretty scared, I have no idea if there’s going to be a tsunami, it was massive,” Rex from Gisborne told Bruce Russell of Newstalk ZB, adding that he hadn’t heard anything. warning alarms after mixing.

“It’s the biggest thing I’ve felt in a long, long time and I’m 80.”

A Twitter user from Wellington described the first earthquake as “terrifying”.

With tears in her eyes at Newstalk ZB, Helen in the Chatham Islands said: “It’s the biggest I’ve ever felt in my life. It went on and on and on. I’m in the old stone house and I didn’t know where to stop because it’s all rock. I’ve never felt one this big, it must be massive all over New Zealand.

Janice at Napier told the station: “I’m still shaking. I was lying on the bed … and the next minute, the earthquake hit and it lasted forever. The biggest I’ve ever felt. This was a shake and it just kept going. I finally got up and sat under the door, oh my god. “

And Eric in Manawatu said, “It woke me up. It was a rattle, and the house was rocking a little bit. But it went on and on, on. It wouldn’t stop. I thought, okay what’s next?”

Beck Vass said on Twitter that “it was very long and shaky in Tauranga.”

By 3.15am, more than 60,000 people had reported feeling the earthquake through Geonet’s website.

Some people on social media reported feeling the earthquake as far as Dunedin and Greymouth.

Chief Health Officer Ashley Bloomfield was also woken up by the earthquake and shared advice on Civil Defense Twitter.