Earthquake. Well someone has to comment

[wheels 543]

So who felt it??
I never felt a thing way down here. But my Cats went stupid and woke me up and then annoyed the heck out of me so I couldn't get back to sleep. No idea if it was related or they were just being typical Cats. You know....Annoying.

Re the Quake though, the aftermath, in this case being Civil defense, does continue to create questions for me. The comments of many in the affected areas this morning was that they got there best information via Facebook. Which is a worry in itself. So just a day or two after the biggest practice excersize Civil defence has had on sch a matter and the pats on the back on how well they performed, there still seems to be a gap between Civil Defense and Public information.
I also scratched my head as to their exercise. They used an example of an Earthquake in the Kermadecs causing a huge Tsunami, with a 3hr warning. To me, the potential lethal Tsunami creators are off the East Coast nearly the length of the Country and could give anything from minutes to an hr fuffly at the most. As seen this morning.
So what I has happened this morning seems no different. Even if CD thinks they did a great job.  There appears to be a gap in Warning public. What information is given is poorly stated. It makes it all sound silly and then people don't take it seriously. Maybe this is the pathetic ability of media to convey message rather than CD writing what should be said.
Above all, I think this Country seriously needs a chain of early warning devices along the Coast. There is no warning of what could be coming and when.

That's my ruff thoughts. What are yours??

 

[erice 732]

wife felt it in ak

 

i didn't

 

the maps show the epicentre to be right next that deep ocean fault of east cape

 

 

if the top of the trench fell into the bottom a tsunami would hit east cape very quickly 

 

seems to have been no major trench movement during or immediately after the quake

 

but a big slope could still go for a slide sometime after the event so i guess CD will advise great caution around the east coast today

 

do we have any wave/tsunami buoys out there?

 

 

we should, that trench is a loaded gun, and the hammer's just been cocked

 

wouldn't be too hard to start with small, solar powered, land based, vhf? connected, weather boxes just above the high tide mark on along east cape, white island etc

 

or go straight to proper swell buoys on the ranfurly bank? etc 

 

 

1960 chile earthquake 

 

Two hundred deaths were reported here from the tsunami generated just off Chile's coast by the magnitude 8.6 earthquake. The inhabitants, fearing the earthquake, took to small boats to escape the shaking. The trough of the tsunami arrived just 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake, along more than 500 m of the coast. Upon the return of the sea in a thunderous breaker, all boats were lost. 

After the tsunami had passed the Hawaiian Islands damage costs were estimated at $24 million and 61 people had died. Hilo, on the main island of Hawaii, was the hardest hit city in the islands. The tsunami arrived at Hilo 14.8 hrs after the it originated off the coast of South Central Chile. The (wave) - at Hilo was measured at 10.7 m.

 

[swartie 6]

Hold on wait, between 30cm and over 2m? would it not have been easier for them to state "we predict a wave over 30cm. 

 

public will always be quicker as there are more people involved with no responsability. and no trust. where as (in this instance) the civil defence, had to ensure the information is correct, then you end up with bureaucrazy, that says you are not able to send a message out without so and so's approval, and that person happens to be "in a meeting". by the time the messages and information does come out. Joe bliogs in the street has felt it, gone to geonet, and posted it on facebook with pictures of his deck chairs lying on their side. and 30 seconds later, all his friends have liked the picture and commented on how bad it was or, nah bro, didn't feel a thing. 

 

civil defence also need to ensure that their information is correct and cant be called into question so will post very vague info that can be interpretted so many ways it could never be seen as incorrect, "the wave height will be over 30cm" em, todays swell is 1.2m (made that info up) so i am sure the waves will be bigger than 30cm no matter what. but when there is a 30m wall of water bearing down on us, the civil defence were correct. "see we told you it would be over 30cm. 

 

if you want quicker alerts, then perhaps have a website that people can inclue in their posts, the posts are put up on the website and as the information is verified, then the post can be "verified" and whoever is looking at it can see which posts are confirmed by civi defence and which posts are currently just what someone is saying it may or may not be true. "get yo jetski brah, goona go ride me this tsunami I can see on the horizon" 

[waikiore 398]

Interesting listening on radio to the warnings from our own Dads Army CD telling people to stay away from the sea while crawling along the Northern Motorway at dead full tide - actually saw the surge all 2" of it. You have got to feel for the rail commuters when the eastern line was closed to Britomart- whilst leaving the waterfront open and Northern and North Western motorways going, haha and this hours after

the Barrier had reported a 6-7" rise . From recent history we know on the Northern coast that the likes of Tutukaka will feel it worst from this type of surge and Auckland nothing much - if measurable.

And I thought the cat had gone mad first thing!!  Turns out he may be advising CD  

[erice 732]

certainly the small pulse of tsunami water that could get through between barrier and cape colville 

 

seems like it would get radially dissipated enough to save auckland waterfront from destruction

 

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-36.4236024,174.8984363,9z

 

thinking more of the east coast towns + cities

[erice 732]

as for early warning systems

 

the japanese are rolling out a system where all mobile phones in an area can be triggered automatically to give a unique siren? and vibration quake/tsunami warning

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake_Early_Warning_(Japan)

 

they also have reinforced concrete bunkers (school sports gyms) and sirens in coastal towns

[Black Panther 1,581]

I had a friend with a beach bach at Pukehina, opposite White Is. He figured if it went bang he'd have 10 mins to sit on the beach and enjoy his view of the apocalypse.

[Island Time 1,233]

yep. at over 400Km/hr, it's already been...

I have a YNZ inspector due any min - if the warning has not put him off!!

[Black Panther 1,581]

hey matt, Can I pick up that handline? Think of the weight savings when you race.

[madyottie 82]

Didn't feel a thing at home. Then again, living 100 yards from the NIMT railway line I'd be more worried if the house stopped moving.

[Island Time 1,233]

hey matt, Can I pick up that handline? Think of the weight savings when you race.

Sure, come around...

[grant 40]

Erice - there are Tsunami gauges around the country already, and there is one at East cape

[erice 732]

^

 

thanks was trying to pull up that info but couldn't

 

knew there was 1 up round barrier but that wouldn't help hawkes bay

[wheels 543]

I know any system is never going to be perfect. But I keep thinking of the other tsunami threats in recent years and the poor communication to the public and that this morning had absolutely no improvement it seems. And it may not be CD that is to blame, but that we now have a 8 till 5 kind of media that gets most of it's info off the internet anyway.
What happened this morning!
Earthquake occured, many on East cape that were awoken got no info on Radio/TV, not knowing what was going on, but that it was a major shake for a long time, those many self evacuated. Good on them. Well done.
When info finally did come to hand via media, there was complete bollox spouted. And this was an hr later, already too late. It was suggested that if you lived in Tologa Bay, maybe you should look at evacuation. Hmmm, what about the rest of the East Cape then. Then they interviewed a Woman from CD and she dithered around and made comments about evacuation, then when pressed further, she said well at least don't go to the beach. Stay away from the water. Then back to the evacuation part again, then when tried to be clarified, back to don't go to the beach. Simply not helpful. It confuses everyone, scares the crap out of people and no one knows what to do. The result apparently was that FBook had heaps of posts with people "virtually" rolling their eyes. Also not helpful. Comments were also made that FB was the best source of information, which has to be really scary to think about.
In situations like this, there needs to be early, clear messages and guidlines. Having a Tidal Bouy for early warning might be great, but aside form that, simply clear messages of warning. Such as, Tsunami of magnitude x at time x at depth and distance x. Possible Tsunami could be developed, so take precautions. Then as soon as information is becomes clearer, like a bouy registering a wave, then a proper alert needs to be released. If for instance, a Wave of 10M (which is easily possible from that shelf if it lets go) then Wellington, Marlborough has only a couple of hrs to evacuate. We heard nothing within any of that time as to whether something significant could be on it's way.
 

[SloopJohnB 323]

This morning I was giving 4 workers a site safety induction and in one of the sections "When Disaster Strikes" there's

Earthquakes

In a Flood

In a Storm

In a Tsunami Warning

In a Eruption

 

As the site is along side the Manukau Harbour I had to tell them that Mt Richmond is the high land around here.

 

Hard to take this stuff seriously sometimes.

[ScottiE 174]

the same can be said for spending money upgrading shitty old buildings for earthquakes.  The primary reason for the "tsunami warnings" is to do with unusual and unpredicaible surge flows rather than the sterotypical breaking wave charging inland.  Getting knocked off your feet and drowning is easily preventable by . . . not being there for a bit.  Its generally accepted that the "big wave" would need a significant event (like an 8-9) with significant upthrust and the anualised risk of that along the NI fault system is very very low.  The damage to towns and cities would be massive. If you survived the initial shake - you'd know to get to high ground to avoid teh growler - if indeed you could get there fast enough.

[Addem 94]

question so will post very vague info that can be interpretted so many ways it could never be seen as incorrect, "the wave height will be over 30cm" em, todays swell is 1.2m (made that info up) so i am sure the waves will be bigger than 30cm no matter what. but when there is a 30m wall of water bearing down on us, the civil defence were correct. "see we told you it would be over 30cm.

"

I always wonder about this too. a lay person (like me and most of us) wouldn't know the difference between swell of 1.2m and a tsunami of 1.2m. I think the difference is that it's the volume of water behind and the speed it is traveling that counts not the height. Similar to the Bristol tidal bore.

 

I barely raised a eyebrow at a 30cm wave. But if they said something like "a wave which can penetrate 2km inland at 30kmh" that's going to get my interest.

[Dagwood 57]

I believe they shouldn't use the word "wave". A wave as most people know it that is 30cm high would be ok for a toddler to splash in.

 

A 30cm surge that is 10 miles deep doing warp factor 9 has the potential to spoil your day. 

[Dambo 44]

I always wonder about this too. a lay person (like me and most of us) wouldn't know the difference between swell of 1.2m and a tsunami of 1.2m. I think the difference is that it's the volume of water behind and the speed it is traveling that counts not the height. Similar to the Bristol tidal bore.

 

I barely raised a eyebrow at a 30cm wave. But if they said something like "a wave which can penetrate 2km inland at 30kmh" that's going to get my interest.

The Severn Bore?  That's a freakish phenomenon, however my favourite part about that Severn Bore is that this mad bastard was the first to surf it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Churchill This guy is legend.

[Island Time 1,233]

A tsunami is not a wave. It is more like a temporary change in sea level, its only the front edge that looks like a wave..... and they can go a LOT more than 2km inland, and speeds of over 400km/hr.

At Banda Aceh, there was a 100m barge shifted 7km inland....