Tsunami

The Alaska Earthquake Information Centre says a major earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.2 has been recorded in the Pacific Ocean off Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands.

The mother of one of three missing New Zealand men in tsunami-hit Indonesia says their families are keeping positive.

Nine Australians missing for almost 24 hours after a powerful earthquake triggered a deadly tsunami in Indonesia's west are safe and well.

While the people of Otago went about their daily business yesterday, Civil Defence was hard at work preparing the region for a one-in-2500-year disaster.

The toll wrought by tsunamis in the Pacific and Asia in recent years has prompted two public meetings for north coast residents next week.

Dunedin Civil Defence authorities will change the way they respond to tsunami alerts in future.

The 40 retirees enjoying summer vacation at a seaside campground nestled under pine trees knew they had to move fast after Chile's powerful earthquake struck. They didn't make it.

Striking a balance between acting upon legitimate safety concerns, and unduly alarming people, needlessly disrupting their lives, is a delicate business.

The warning was ominous, its predictions dire: Oceanographers issued a bulletin telling Hawaii and other Pacific islands that a killer wave was heading their way with terrifying force and that "urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property."

Up to 200 South Otago residents moved to higher ground, 60 campers at Hampden were evacuated, Dunedin beaches were closed and about 500 people on the Otago Peninsula were personally warned about possible dangers yesterday in the wake of nation-wide tsunami alerts.