NZ tsunami alert cancelled

New Zealand Civil Defence authorities have cancelled the tsunami alert issued following a large earthquake in the Pacific this morning.

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The warning was issued after an earthquake measuring 8.3 on the
Richter scale hit near the islands of Samoa, sparking a tsunami which
killed dozens of people, including at least one New Zealander.

Many houses were wiped out and the death toll continues to rise.

While
waves resulting from the quake were recorded in coastal parts of New
Zealand this morning and this afternoon, they weren't significant
enough to cause damage.

The Ministry of Civil Defence and
Emergency Management said wave activity was expected to continue around
New Zealand on a diminishing level into the evening.

There was still a likelihood of strong currents in coastal areas, but beach areas were now considered safe.

Local
authorities reported being generally pleased with the response this
morning to the tsunami warning, despite some people ignoring advice.

That included surfers heading out to catch "the wave" at Makorori beach near Gisborne.

The
Gisborne Herald reported that there was some initial confusion in the
area as to how serious the threat was as the situation was being
dramatised on television while being talked down by local authorities.

There
was nevertheless a significant flow of people right along the East
Coast heading to higher ground to either get out of harm's way or get a
view of the ocean.

Far North District Council spokeswoman Alison
Lees told NZPA that emergency response plans for coastal communities
had been set up over the past year and the urgent response to today's
warning was pleasing.

She said locals needed little encouragement
from Civil Defence representatives to vacate their low-lying homes as
most did so on their own accord after seeing or hearing media reports.

Me Lees said there was a "barely detectable" increase in wave activity from about 10.30am.

Waikato
Civil Defence chairman Peter Lee said sirens were used at various
harbours to alert people to the risk and emergency plans were generally
well activated.

In the Bay of Plenty the TrustPower TECT rescue
helicopter flew along the coast from Waihi Beach to Otamarakau with
occupants using a load hailer system to urge residents to evacuate.

Emergency response plans were enacted right down to the bottom of the South Island.

Adrian
Prowse from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management said
this afternoon the tsunami was always likely to arrive in New Zealand
as a series of waves rather than a single one, and the alert was likely
to remain in place into the evening.

Some regional Civil Defence
centres reported small waves hitting beaches late this morning and
early afternoon, but there were no reports of the metre-high waves
feared.

However, Mr Prowse said the message to coastal residents
or people visiting coastal areas was to keep clear of beaches until
further notice.

Energy from such large earthquakes could take up to a day to dissipate and he said there was no room for complacency.

Mr
Prowse said the waves which had been recorded here were smaller than
anticipated and "we're certainly not anticipating anything greater than
a metre arriving in New Zealand".

Earlier,
Southlanders were urged to stay away from beaches as large waves were
expected to affect the southern coast this afternoon.

A tsunami warning was put in place for the Southland and Fiordland coast, with boaties and whitebaiters at particular risk of disturbed wave patterns and currents.

The Southland Civil Defence Controller Ken Swinney said that a tsunami threat was still in place for the whole of New Zealand.

Consequently, the Southland Civil Defence Emergency Group remains operational and Southlanders are still required to stay away from the coast. Whitebaiters should move away from the lower reaches of Southland rivers until further notice.

Mr Swinney said there was a strong risk of disturbed waves and currents, particularly in shallow waters around the coast, for several hours and small boat owners are advised to stay out of the water.

"It is very important that the public should keep away from beaches and shorelines."

Earlier there were unconfirmed reports from Samoa that small tsunamis with waves up to 20cm high had hit two villages.

Radio Polynesia said the quake lasted for up to a minute and within minutes after tsunami sirens had been sounded and tsunami phone text warnings were issued.

A New Zealand tourist in Samoa told Radio New Zealand a whole village had been wiped out.

"The whole southeast coast has been wiped out, just completely wiped out, there's not a building standing.

"We've all clambered up hill. All of our party, one's got a broken leg, we don't know about... our party's okay, we just need help..

"There will be people in a great lot of need around here.

"It's flattened, it's just flattened. It was very quick and it's flattened.

Others told Radio New Zealand they had been advised to move to higher ground.

Reports also said people in Samoa had fled the beach to higher ground and some only had 30 seconds to leave their fale accommodation before the wave rushed through.

Ministry director John Hamilton said that the ministry had alerted the country's regional Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) groups, police, fire service, Ministry of Health, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and other government agencies.

The ministry has activated the National Crisis Management Centre and was co-ordinating central government response.

The CDEM sector was activating its emergency plans.

Regional CDEM groups were working urgently with local authorities, local emergency services and local media to warn and if necessary evacuate coastal areas at risk.

In 2004, a quake in the Indian Ocean generated a powerful tsunami that killed tens of thousands people in Asia.