Civil defense: HB residents can return to red zone houses, stay away from beaches

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defense Emergency Management Group controller Ian Macdonald says all people who evacuated their homes in the red zones can now return.

But he cautions that strong and unusual currents and unpredictable swells are still expected off the coast.

“Strong currents and waves can injure and drown people. There is danger to swimmers, surfers, people who fish, small boats, and anyone in the water or near shore.

“People should stay out of the water, off beaches and coastal areas, and away from ports, rivers and estuaries until instructed otherwise,” says Macdonald.

Please continue to check the HB Civil Defense Emergency Management Facebook page for the latest information.

Approximately 500 people made the trip to the top of Bluff Hill after a call from Civil Defense to evacuate areas of the Hawke’s Bay red light district, including Napier Harbor.

A beach and marine threat was put in place after major earthquakes off the New Zealand coast and in the Pacific Ocean on Friday.

The Napier port evacuation siren was heard in the Napier area red zones, including Marine Pde, telling people to evacuate.

At approximately 10.20 am, a voice was heard over a loudspeaker in Napier Harbor telling people “this is not a drill” and to move from the beach. He was followed by a mermaid.

At about 1.45 p.m., a Napier port spokesperson said port workers were leaving the Bluff Hill lookout after being given the go-ahead.

Hawke’s Bay Civil Defense Emergency Management Group controller Ian Macdonald says wave activity was estimated to begin in Hawke’s Bay at 10:45 a.m. It will continue for several hours.

“Unusually strong currents and unpredictable swells are expected near shore. The severity of currents and swells will vary within a particular coastal area and during the period this advisory is in effect. The first wave may not be the longest. big”.

Tsunami activity will continue for several hours and the threat must be considered real until this warning is canceled.

1. Listen to the radio or television for updates, or visit www.civildefence.govt.nz

2. Stay out of the water (sea, rivers and estuaries, this includes boats)

3. Stay away from beaches and coastal areas

4. Don’t go sightseeing

5. Share this information with family, neighbors, and friends.

The evacuation notice overrides the current COVID-19 alert level requirements.

Hawke’s Bay residents are advised to stay away from beaches and piers (up to 2m above sea level) on Friday after a massive 8.1 magnitude earthquake near the Kermadec Islands.

Coastal areas, including Central Hawke’s Bay and Waimarama beaches, are being patrolled by emergency services to ensure that people remain out of the water.

The Hawke’s Bay tsunami red zone does not include Napier’s CBD. Full maps here: https://www.facebook.com/hbemergency/posts/4482099631816472

The 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Kermadec Islands at 8.28 BC. M.

It followed two other major earthquakes off the New Zealand coast this morning, including a 7.1 earthquake, which occurred at 2.27 a.m. about 95 km offshore from Te Araroa, on the east coast of the North Island, which caused tremors. ‘severe’ and woke up thousands of people. of Hawke’s Bay residents.

It was originally reported as a 7.4m earthquake, later degraded.

Simon Osborne, a security and emergency management advisor at Napier Port, said staff made their way to Bluff Hill around 10:45 a.m. on the advice of the CDEM (Civil Defense and Emergency Management).

“The port has the evacuation process for the entire port.

“In the early hours of the morning, our port family that port staff and tenants, including sailors on the ships, were informed about the impending tsunami warning.

“One told us that we were in the red zone and we had to evacuate the port, we used the alert system that sounds like a siren but it is basically with a tone followed by a voice-over.”

He said staff were told to walk up the hill through the port’s central tsunami gate and another near the western entrance.

Staff were now waiting with 500 other people at the top of the hill, he said.
“There are also local residents here, so we are trying to take care of them.”

Container operations at the port were initially halted around 3 a.m., but resumed normally at 7 a.m. before the second and third earthquakes.

Westshore Elementary School said they were evacuating students as a precaution.

“Our final evacuation point is Napier Central School. If you have not picked up your child, you must remain with us as the searches have been made and we must follow up on the children. Everyone is safe and happy. school after All clear. “

Ahuriri resident Gillian Scott said levels of confusion were high after sirens and a loudspeaker were heard from Battery Rd.

“We thought maybe they were testing their emergency systems or warning people to stay away from the beach,” he said.

“I’m home alone and I’m recovering from a broken ankle, so I don’t have enough mobility to ask and I feel a bit anxious.”

The Hastings District Council urged the public to evacuate the Red Light District beach areas in the Hastings district, while Cape Kidnappers has been closed.

By 3.15am, more than 60,000 people had reported feeling the Te Araroa earthquake via Geonet’s website, as far north as Auckland and as far south as Christchurch.

A video shared with Hawke’s Bay Today by Veronika showed security camera footage of the quake.

“I recently moved from Auckland. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I think I’ll be back!” He said.

“I’m at Hawke’s Bay Hospital and I’m sure it woke up the entire maternity ward,” Eva Winitana commented on the Hawke’s Bay Today Facebook page.

Hawke’s Bay locals who live near the coast heeded a national Civil Defense advisory to head to high ground shortly after the earthquake, and many did, driving to the Dolbel preserve in Taradale and the Bluff Hill lookout.

The Napier City Council also gave similar advice on its Facebook page saying:

“LONG OR STRONG, TURN OFF: People near the shore who felt a LONG OR STRONG earthquake that made it difficult for them to stand up, or that lasted more than a minute, should IMMEDIATELY MOVE to the nearest high ground, out of all zones tsunami evacuation, or as far inland as possible.

“This evacuation notice overrides the current COVID-19 alert level requirements. Stay within 2 meters of others if you can and if it is safe to do so.”

At approximately 4.15am, Hawke’s Bay Civil Defense reported that “there was no ground threat to Hawke’s Bay.”

“You can go home if you have been evacuated,” it read on Facebook.

At 5.15am, there had been 15 smaller earthquakes since the 2.27am shake, with a magnitude of 5.4 to 4.4, also centered near the Eastern Cape.

Janice at Napier told ZB: “I’m still shaking. I was laying 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 kept going. I finally got up and sat under the door, oh my gosh. “

Hear the latest reports on Newstalk ZB:

“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 spokesperson for the port of Napier said container operations stopped at 3 a.m. but resumed normally at 7 a.m.

The earthquake caused moderate disruptions to rail services.

KiwiRail COO Todd Moyle said that safety was “paramount” and that it was standard practice for the network in the impacted area to be shut down after significant seismic events, for inspections to detect damage to the tracks. .

“Shortly after this morning’s earthquake, we closed our network from Napier to Wairoa, from Tauranga to Kawerau and from Kawerau to Murupara, pending inspections by road personnel,” he said.

He said that two registration services were stopped, but both had resumed their services and no other cargo services were affected.

The line between Napier and Wairoa will be inspected later today as the next train is not scheduled to run on that line until Saturday. [tomorrow], he said.

Farmers director Michael Power said Hastings and Napier stores were closed to allow engineers to assess whether there was any damage as a result of the earthquakes.

“Engineers have completed their assessment and reported that both stores can reopen. Both stores have already opened,” he said.