Category Archives: Tsunamis

Major earthquake triggers tsunami warning and evacuations in New Zealand – video

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Thousands of people have been evacuated  in coastal areas of New Zealand’s North Island after a powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast prompting a tsunami warning. The quake was one of three to strike New Zealand in a day, with emergency orders in coastal regions urging people to head away from the water and onto high ground. There were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties before the warning was downgraded


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Jacinda Ardern to give update on New Zealand Covid alert levels – live

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Prime minister to speak about the latest coronavirus restrictions after tsunami warning for the North Island is lifted

We are now going to change tack to covering the other alert extant in New Zealand, with an announcement on the coronavirus restrictions expected from prime minister Jacinda Ardern at 4pm.

Auckland has been in a level-three lockdown since Sunday morning, following cases of coronavirus in the community. The rest of the country has been at level two, restricting large gatherings.

Related: New Zealand has third day with no new Covid cases as church leader says she will refuse vaccine

Trust New Zealanders to be downright jolly after three earthquakes and a tsunami warning. We are delighted that no one got hurt.

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Thousands of New Zealanders allowed to return home after tsunami alert

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Residents on North Island instructed to evacuate after three earthquakes felt across the country in one day

Thousands of people have been told they can return home after being evacuated from coastal areas of New Zealand’s North Island in the wake of a powerful 8.1-magnitude earthquake and sunami warning.

The New Zealand National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) issued a national warning on Friday morning, saying people in many coastal areas of the North Island “must move immediately to the nearest high ground, out of all tsunami evacuation zones, or as far inland as possible. Do not stay at home”.

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Tsunami warning sirens ring out after 7.8-magnitude quake in Alaska – video

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An earthquake of magnitude 7.8 struck off the south-east coast of the Alaskan peninsula on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The quake, whose focus was at a depth of 10 km (six miles), prompted the US National Tsunami Warning Center to issue a tsunami warning for the region - with many residents on social media posting videos of alert sirens ringing out in their areas.

The Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami warning was in effect for South Alaska and the Alaska Peninsula, Pacific coasts from Kennedy Entrance, Alaska to Unimak Pass, Alaska

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Russia earthquake: tsunami warning issued after 7.5 magnitude event

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US tsunami warning centre says quake capable of generating destructive wave

A 7.5-magnitude earthquake hit off Russia’s Kuril Islands on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, prompting a tsunami warning.

The quake hit at a depth of 59km (37 miles), around 1,400km north-east of the Japanese city of Sapporo, USGS added. There were no early reports of casualties.

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Strong earthquake shakes vast area from Mexico to Florida

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  • 7.7 magnitude quake struck in the sea south of Cuba
  • No immediate reports of damage or injuries

A powerful magnitude 7.7 earthquake has struck in the sea south of Cuba, shaking a vast area from Mexico to Florida and beyond, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage.

Tsunami warnings for Cuba, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands were issued but lifted shortly afterward with no reports of major damage.

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Fukushima disaster: first residents return to town next to nuclear plant

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Parts of Okuma are open for business once again, but only a few hundred former residents have moved home

A town next to the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant partially reopened on Wednesday, eight years after a triple meltdown forced tens of thousands of people in the area to flee.

About 40% of Okuma, which sits immediately west of the plant, was declared safe for residents to make a permanent return after decontamination efforts significantly reduced radiation levels.

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Tokyo 2020 organisers cut crowds at sailing events over tsunami risk

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Olympic authorities reduce crowd size to make evacuations easier

The organisers of next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo have decided to cut the number of spectators for the sailing events by a third so they can be quickly evacuated to higher ground in the event of a tsunami.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics organising committee had initially planned to allow up to 5,000 people to watch the sailing events off Enoshima island, just south of the Japanese capital, according to the public broadcaster NHK.

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